The Russian President made it clear that he would be doing what he deemed necessary to protect the sovereignty of his nation as tension rise in the Arctic.
Speaking at the International Arctic Forum on Thursday (March 27), Vladimir Putin insisted that he was dedicated to protecting the interests of Russia.
These interests seem to extend to the geopolitical goings-on in the arctic region, not just its neighbors in Europe.
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During his address, Putin accused NATO member states of looking to the far north as a ‘foothold for possible conflicts’, however, he did not name any nations in particular.
He added that NATO members have been carrying out a number of military drills in the Arctic and insisted that Russia has ‘never threatened anyone in the Arctic’, but ‘we are watching recent developments very closely’.
Putin then warned these nations that he would be responding to this action by NATO members.
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He said: "[The] numbers of military servicemen in the Arctic will be rising.
"We are developing our response capabilities by upgrading our military infrastructure.
"We will not allow an encroachment of the sovereignty of our country... we will protect our national interests."
Interestingly enough, he also mentioned Donald Trump and his repeated comments that Greenland should become a part of the United States.
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While Trump has faced criticism for these comments, Putin insisted that they should be taken seriously.
The Russian leader said plans to annex Greenland were first raised by the US way back in the 1860s but were ultimately dismissed after being rejected by Congress.
Putin said: "It would be a grave mistake to think that this is just some eccentric talk of the new American administration, nothing of the kind.
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"Those plans have deep historic roots and it is obvious that the US will continue to promote their geopolitical, military and economic interests in the Arctic.
"As for Greenland, I think that this is an issue that concerns two states and has nothing to do with us.
"However, we are concerned by the fact that the NATO countries increasingly identify the far north as a foothold for possible conflicts."
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While Greenland operates as an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, Trump has insisted the US needs ownership for ‘national security and even international security’.
Despite both the Danish government and the Greenlandic government both insisting that Greenland is not up for sale, Trump still maintains he thinks he will succeed.
Speaking to reporters alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, he said: "I think it’ll happen. A boat landed there 200 years ago or something.
"And they say they have rights to it. I don’t know if that’s true. I don’t think it is, actually."
Topics: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, World News, News
Gerrard Kaonga