Russia’s ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, has accused NATO of seeking to militarize the Arctic, against the backdrop of a demand by US President Donald Trump for his country to “own” Greenland, which is an administratively autonomous region of Denmark, and announcements by European countries to deploy their troops.

NATO member states, including Denmark, are using the alleged threat of Russia and China to expand their military presence in the Arctic, the ambassador criticized, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

For Vladimir Barbin, Copenhagen has taken a confrontational approach by involving NATO and escalating military tensions in the Arctic.

Russia “is not drawing up plans of attack against its neighbours in the Arctic, does not threaten them with military action and does not want to occupy their territories,”
Barbin continued, referring, implicitly but explicitly, to US President Trump.

However, Moscow has also warned against any potential disregard for Russia’s interests in the Arctic in the past.

Russia, with a long coastline in the Arctic Ocean, considers the Arctic part of its sphere of influence. Moscow is making wider use of sea routes that pass through there and expanding its military presence.

US President Trump has been exerting renewed pressure of late for Washington to “acquire” the resource-rich region of Denmark for “national security” reasons, citing the risks posed to him by the “presence” of China and Russia – without ever ruling out the military option.

After unsuccessful talks in Washington the day before yesterday (Wednesday) to resolve the dispute, EU member states, including Germany and France, announced they were sending troops to the island on a mission to support Denmark.