By Alperen Aktas
ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia has no plans to "seize" Greenland and the US is well aware that neither Moscow nor Beijing has such intentions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday, rejecting President Donald Trump's claims.
Speaking at a press conference summarizing Russia’s diplomatic activities in 2025, Lavrov said: "We have no plans to capture Greenland. It’s not our issue. We think Washington knows well about the absence of such plans both in Russia and China."
He also dismissed speculation about possible mutual assistance agreements with Greenland or Iceland, saying there are no conditions for such arrangements.
Lavrov stressed that Russia is merely observing developments around Greenland and has no direct involvement, rejecting claims that Moscow poses a threat to the territory.
Trump has sought to acquire mineral-rich Greenland, an autonomous territory under Denmark's control, despite European opposition, claiming it is needed for national security and to deter rivals such as China and Russia.
Addressing comparisons raised in Western discourse, Lavrov said Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, is as vital to Russia’s security as Greenland is to the US.
“When they justify what’s going on around Greenland by saying that otherwise Russia or China would seize it, there is no proof of that. And in the West, economists and political scientists are already refuting them,” Lavrov said. "We have nothing to do with this issue. We will monitor the situation."
Lavrov related the issue of Greenland to the "consequences of the colonial era," saying the territory was historically under Norwegian and later Danish control for centuries before its status changed in the mid-20th century.
He added that Greenland's past as a colony and its subsequent association arrangements, including links with European structures, continue to shape today's discussions.