Russia protested against the deployment of NATO troops to Greenland, describing the reinforced presence as part of an “accelerated militarization” of the Arctic. The Russian embassy in Belgium, the organization’s headquarters, stated that the island is being used as a pretext against Moscow and Beijing.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the 14th, Russian diplomacy said that “the situation developing in the high latitudes is a matter of extreme concern for us” and accused the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of reinforcing its military presence based on invented threats.
For Moscow, some European countries would be using statements from Washington with the intention of promoting an agenda “anti-Russia and anti-China” and they criticize the idea that Greenland’s protection would depend on direct action by the United States.
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According to reports cited by the Russian diplomacy, there was no presence of Russian or Chinese submarines near the island, highlighting, in Moscow’s view, the “artificial nature of the hysteria that is being fomented”.
France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden began sending troops to Greenland in demonstration of support for Denmark. The countries argue that the objective of the movements is to demonstrate unity among Europeans and to signal to the American president, Donald Trump, that direct intervention on the island is not necessary.
Trump has made clear his interest in taking the strategically sparsely populated Arctic island.
