Photo: EPA
Senior Russian officials are openly welcoming the split within NATO.
For nearly two decades, Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to undermine NATO unity, and amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims over Greenland, Moscow is now in high spirits. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has even appealed to Trump’s ego when commenting on tensions around the island, The Wall Street Journal reports.
“By resolving the issue of Greenland’s accession, Trump will undoubtedly go down in history — not only in U.S. history, but in world history,” Peskov said.
The dispute among allies over Greenland is becoming dangerous for NATO, which has underpinned the U.S.-led global security order since World War II. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the alliance is in a “deep crisis” and admitted he never imagined one NATO member threatening another. He also endorsed Trump’s interest in taking control of the island, comparing it to Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territories.
“Crimea is no less important for the security of the Russian Federation than Greenland is for the United States,” Lavrov said.
These remarks echo concerns among some European leaders that Trump’s ambitions regarding Greenland could undermine international law and further embolden Putin in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, where smaller countries rely heavily on NATO’s collective strength.
“This is a top-level emergency that is driving a wedge between North America and Europe. Russia will likely sit back, thinking that Christmas is simply coming early,” said John Foreman, a former UK defense attaché in Moscow and Kyiv.
At the same time, he noted that Moscow’s enthusiasm could be tempered by the prospect of an expanded U.S. presence in the Arctic. Russia has heavily invested in restoring Soviet-era military bases in the region and building the world’s largest icebreaker fleet, aiming to outmaneuver NATO in the High North. Still, in the near term, the Greenland dispute is likely to sow instability within the alliance, long described by Moscow as a threat.
Pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergey Markov has called the growing rift between Washington and Brussels a possible first step toward a complete overhaul of Western security policy in Russia’s favor. He suggested tensions could ultimately dismantle NATO, leaving Ukraine without European backing and allowing Moscow to impose peace on its own terms. Many Western leaders, however, consider such a scenario unlikely.
They are seeking to dissuade Trump from pursuing claims over Greenland, avert a trade war, and preserve alliance unity. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who has worked to maintain constructive ties with the U.S. president, spoke with Trump by phone early Tuesday. Trump agreed to hold meetings on Greenland at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which he has already traveled to.
“I am seeking a way forward on Greenland,” Rutte told Trump, according to a message posted by the U.S. president on social media.
