Greenland not a ‘natural part’ of Denmark: Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday said Greenland was not “a natural part” of Denmark and that the problem of former colonial territories was becoming more acute.

US President Trump said he wanted full US control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, for national security reasons. On Saturday, he announced tariffs on imports from European allies that oppose a potential US takeover. Russia has reacted gleefully to the growing US-Europe divide over Greenland, but has bristled at Trump’s suggestion that Moscow is also seeking control over the island.

Speaking at a press conference, Lavrov said Russia had no interest in interfering in Greenland’s affairs and that Washington knew that Moscow itself had no plans to take control of the island. “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.”

Meanwhile, Lavrov on Tuesday lauded Moscow’s bilateral ties with New Delhi and Beijing, and called for reactivating the Russia-India-China (RIC) trialogue, asserting that multipolarity was “here to stay”. He said, “We need to activate the RIC trilateral format, which in a way is the foundation of BRICS, a key element of a multipolar world.”

Britain should no longer call itself ‘Great’, says Lavrov

Lavrov on Tuesday said Britain should no longer be called Great Britain as it was the only country in the world to officially name itself “Great”.

“I think that Britain should be called simply Britain because ‘Great Britain’ is the only example of a country which calls itself ‘Great’,” he said as he spoke about colonialism following comments on Greenland.