Russias ambassador to Denmark has warned of military and technical measures if an armed dispute breaks out over Greenland, ratcheting up rhetoric over the icy, resource-rich territory that U.S.
President Donald Trump just recently threatened to annex.In an interview with the state-run RIA Novosti released on Thursday, Ambassador Vladimir Barbin said any fight over the large Arctic island would even more undermine regional security, and that Moscow would respond properly to risks near its polar flank.He pointed to increasing stress over U.S.
and NATO interests in Greenland, declaring Denmark was mulling the building of a military base upon the island to hedge against both viewed risks from Russia and Trumps sticking around aspirations to buy it outright.In reaction, Russia would be compelled to take suitable military and technical measures to adequately attend to the emerging dangers, Barbin stated, without using specifics.The comments come amid a more comprehensive Russian pushback against what President Vladimir Putin has called NATOs attempt to turn the Arctic into a springboard for possible conflicts.Greenlands growing strategic worth as Arctic ice melts and sea lanes open has actually drawn increased attention from Washington, Moscow and even Beijing.Greenland is a self-governing area of NATO and EU member Denmark, however the U.S.
preserves a longstanding military presence at Pituffik Space Base, an essential Cold War-era outpost that stays central to U.S.
rocket defense and early warning systems.The islands area places it directly between Russia and North America.Barbin stated it would be impossible to conduct meaningful security discussions about Greenland with Danish authorities as long as stress over the war in Ukraine persist.AFP contributed reporting.