Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Greenland was not “a natural part” of Denmark and described the territory as a vestige of colonial conquest, amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for full U.S. control of the autonomous Danish territory.
Lavrov made the comments during his annual press conference in Moscow, responding to questions about Trump’s repeated assertions that Greenland is essential for U.S. national security and that Denmark cannot adequately protect it from potential threats by Russia or China.
“In principle, Greenland is not a natural part of Denmark, is it?” Lavrov said. “It was neither a natural part of Norway nor a natural part of Denmark. It is a colonial conquest. The fact that the inhabitants are now accustomed to it and feel comfortable is another matter.”
He added that Russia had no interest in interfering in Greenland’s affairs and that Washington was aware Moscow had no plans to take control of the island.
Russian FM Lavrov says that Russia has zero interest in interfering with Trump’s efforts to take Greenland for the United States and that Russia is just going to mind its own business.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@ianmiles) January 20, 2026
He described the land as the “colonial conquest” of Denmark and that it was never a natural… pic.twitter.com/rCXBMYJaJv
“It was hard to imagine before that such a thing could happen,” Lavrov said, referring to the possibility of one NATO member attacking another over Greenland. “We don’t have any involvement whatsoever in plans to seize Greenland, and I have no doubt that Washington is fully aware that neither Russia nor the People’s Republic of China has any such plans.”
Trump announced tariffs on imports from European allies opposing a potential U.S. takeover on Saturday. European countries have said the tariffs would violate a trade deal reached with his administration last year, and EU leaders are set to discuss possible retaliation at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday.
Denmark has maintained that Greenland is not for sale. The island, rich in natural resources and strategically located in the Arctic, has been under Danish control since the early 18th century but gained autonomy in 2009.
Lavrov emphasized that Russia’s primary concern in the Arctic is establishing open and free cooperation, and that Moscow was watching the situation closely.
