"According to unverified information, it is highly likely that an unscheduled referendum will take place in the coming days, and all 55,000 residents of Greenland could vote to join Russia," Russia's Interfax news agency reported on 12/1, quoting Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev.

Medvedev stated that this is why US President Donald Trump needs to act quickly, otherwise "there will be no more stars on the US flag, and Russia will have its 90th federal subject".

Russia currently has 89 federal subjects, including provinces, autonomous regions, constituent republics, and four provinces annexed from Ukraine. It remains unclear how serious Medvedev, who often makes provocative and mocking statements, was in his declaration regarding Greenland's "annexation".

Medvedev suggested that if the US were to control Greenland, Trump would gain a new title: "interim president of Greenland", similar to how a US leader recently referred to himself as "interim president of Venezuela" in a meme on the social media platform Truth Social.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow in 9/2025. Photo: AFP

Greenland, the world's largest island, is located near North America, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. The island spans approximately 2,16 million km2, making it larger than Mexico and over three times the size of the US state of Texas.

Trump has recently been pushing to gain control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, arguing that Washington needs the land to deter Russia and China. The White House chief believes Greenland's geographical position and resources make the island crucial for US national security, and he has not ruled out military action.

Russia has not made any territorial claims over Greenland but has long recognized the island's strategic role in Arctic security. This is due to its position guarding the North Atlantic shipping lanes and hosting a US military base and space surveillance station.

The Kremlin has not yet commented on Trump's latest efforts but describes the Arctic as an area of Russian national and strategic interest. Moscow stated last year that it was closely monitoring the "quite intense" debate surrounding Greenland.

Location of the US, Russia, and Greenland. Graphics: Britannica

Denmark, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland issued a joint statement on 7/1 opposing the idea of a US annexation of Greenland. They emphasized their commitment to defending universal principles of "sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders".

Leaders of Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly declared that the island is not for sale. Polls also indicate that most Greenlanders do not wish for the island to be annexed by the US.

Huyen Le (Reuters, TASS)