The Kremlin on Thursday said that Russia had strategic national interests in the Arctic when asked to comment on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's remarks about acquiring Greenland, absorbing Canada and taking control of the Panama Canal.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says when Washington speaks about right of people's self-determination in Greenland, it should respect such right everywhere - Anadolu Ajansı

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Russia is closely monitoring the situation, after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out military action to take Greenland from Denmark. Peskov said the Arctic was in Russia's "sphere of national and strategic interests and it is interested in peace and stability there".

The Kremlin is closely following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's claim to Greenland, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, expressing relief that it was currently only rhetoric. Trump refused to rule out military action to take control of the Arctic island at a press conference Tuesday.

Danish officials have been warned by allies and Trump’s advisers about the seriousness of his statements concerning Greenland. “The situation now seems much more serious than in 2019, when Trump proposed buying Greenland from Denmark,

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s revived interest in acquiring Greenland has sparked enthusiasm in Russia, with pro-Kremlin figures hailing the proposal as a boon for Moscow’s geopolitical narrative.