Russia should make a deal with incoming United States President Donald Trump should he succeed in his ambitions for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, a Russian politician and Kremlin propagandist said on state TV.
Andrey Gurulyov, a Russian Parliament (Duma) member and former military commander, made the remarks during an appearance on state television channel Russia-1, where he spoke alongside host Vladimir Solovyov.
Newsweek reached out to the Kremlin and the Trump-Vance transition team for comment via email on Tuesday.
‼️Russian MP Andrey Gurulev:
"We need Greenland, no joke. At the very least, we could make a deal with Trump and split Greenland into a couple of pieces. It is clear that Denmark will never be there again. Svalbard is also extremely important to us. There will be some very nice… pic.twitter.com/PNIeLdq8PS
Why It Matters
President-elect Trump has said he wants the U.S. to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous island that is part of Denmark and home to a U.S. Space Force base. On Monday, House Republicans introduced legislation that would permit him to enter into negotiations with Denmark to acquire the territory.
What To Know
Russian politician Gurulyov said on state TV that Russia needs Greenland and should bargain with Trump to split the territory "into a couple of pieces."
The former military commander added that Russia set up military bases in Svalbard, another Arctic region, as it is "very close to our Northern Fleet," which "is extremely important to us today."
Russia must increase its military presence in the Arctic, Gurulyov said, adding that it is a key issue for Russia besides the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Greenland's Prime Minister Múte Egede previously said the country is "not for sale and will never be for sale," but he added on Monday that he wishes to work with the U.S. more closely on defense and exploring its mining resources.
What People Are Saying
Russian politician Andrey Gurulyov said on state TV: "Trump is staking his claim to Greenland. Why don't we look at Greenland? We need Greenland; no joke. At the very least, we could make a deal with Trump and split Greenland into a couple of pieces. It is clear that Denmark will never be there again.
"Svalbard, which is very close to our Northern Fleet, is extremely important to us today. There will be some very nice bases there. There will be some very nice bases there, affixing the whole of the Arctic component.
"Today, we need to clearly increase the military component in the Arctic, based on the conditions that are taking place, including in Ukraine. We are only looking a Ukraine, aren't we? The Arctic is a second and larger issue that has already begun, and we need to sit down and clearly calculate everything. War, we've always said, is math. We have to sit down and do the math. The main thing is to build a proper defense there. We need to build such a defense that no one will think of sticking their heads into our what? The Arctic …"
Greenland's Prime Minister Múte Egede told Reuters in December: "Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom."
What Happens Next
Trump's quest to annex Greenland upon his return to the White House on January 20 is unlikely to be smooth sailing. He hasn't ruled out using military or economic force to take control of the island. However, Greenland is part of Denmark, a NATO member, which could therefore trigger Article 4 of NATO's founding treaty. The article can be invoked when any member of the military alliance deems the "territorial integrity, political independence or security" of any member state to be threatened.
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