Russia says geopolitical tensions in the Arctic are the “biggest concern” as Europe’s NATO members push for war games in the region and Moscow seeks to highlight discord between the Trump administration and its closest allies. Greenland.
“NATO has embarked on a path of accelerated militarization in the North, increasing its military presence there under the pretext of a growing threat from Moscow and Beijing,” Russia’s embassy in Belgium said late Wednesday.
In the statement, he said that Russia advocates peace, cooperation and dialogue in the region, but “NATO members show no desire to solve the issues in a constructive way.”
“The militaristic spirit within the alliance is becoming stronger, and given the disagreements that have arisen in the bloc over the Greenland issue, its ability to reach agreements is becoming more and more unpredictable, including on Arctic issues,” the Russian embassy said. “We consider the alliance’s line to escalate the confrontation in the Arctic to be counterproductive and very dangerous.”
The statement came as senior Trump administration officials met in Washington with officials from Denmark and Greenland to discuss Mr. Trump’s repeated vows to make the vast, largely frozen island of the United States. The White House says the US needs control of the resource-rich island, long a semi-autonomous Danish territory, for security reasons, saying Russia and China would otherwise take it over.
America’s European allies, and Greenland’s own governmentThe US has vehemently rejected taking control of the island in any case, arguing that US ownership is unnecessary for security reasons, as Greenland is already NATO territory.
After the meeting, the Danish foreign minister said his country and the US it still had “basic” sides About the future of Greenland, but he would continue to talk.
EU leaders, meanwhile, have also sought to acknowledge Mr Trump’s concern about the rise of security threats around Greenland.
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“Geopolitical tensions have spread to the Arctic,” Denmark’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. “The Government of Greenland and the Danish Ministry of Defense have therefore decided to continue increasing the exercise activity of the Danish Armed Forces in Greenland, in close cooperation with NATO allies.”
“The objective is to train the ability to operate in the special conditions of the Arctic and to strengthen the footprint of the alliance in the Arctic, benefiting the security of Europe and the transatlantic,” said the ministry.
“Don’t listen to Russian propaganda,” Lars-Christian Brask, deputy chairman of the Danish parliament’s foreign policy committee, told CBS News on Thursday, calling the meeting of US, European and Greenlandic officials in Washington positive, despite no resolution on the issue.
“I think it’s positive to take the clear disagreement between Denmark, Greenland and the US on a platform, in a high-level working group,” Brask said, adding that “it’s a good way to continue to find out what we can do to resolve this situation.”
“It’s about talking. It’s about communicating. He’s trying to solve a problem that couldn’t be solved in an hour-long meeting yesterday,” Brask said.
Mr Trump has played down Denmark’s efforts to increase security in Greenland, saying in a social media post on Wednesday: “Two sled dogs won’t do it! Only the US can do it!!!”.
Denmark says it has invested nearly $14 billion in Arctic security, and ahead of military tests in the region, European partners also signaled investment in the island’s defense.
Julia Waschenbach/Picture Alliance/Getty 
A small number of European troops were arriving in Greenland on Thursday to take part in the upcoming exercise. Germany said it was sending 13 soldiers to the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk. The Netherlands said it would work with NATO to conduct a joint review ahead of the military exercise, and would send an officer from its navy, while Finland said it would send two liaison officers.
French President Emmanuel Macron said a small group of French troops had also arrived in Greenland.
Addressing the military in Istres (France) on Thursday, Macron said “history does not forgive neither preparation nor weakness”.
“The Europeans have a special responsibility because this territory (Greenland) belongs to the European Union… An initial military team is already on the ground and will be reinforced in the coming days with land, air and sea assets,” Macron said.
Macron said that France must “be available in the face of the threat, know how to adapt and stand by a sovereign country to protect its territory”.