Trump vows action to remove 'Russian threat' from Greenland

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Washington will take decisive action to eliminate "the Russian threat" in Greenland.

"NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that 'you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland.' Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!" Trump said on US social media company Truth Social.

On Sunday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Trump discussed the security situation in Greenland and the Arctic in a phone call. Rutte said both "will continue to working on this," and added: "I look forward to seeing him (Trump) in Davos later this week."

Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has long attracted US interest due to its strategic location and vast mineral resources, as well as alleged concerns about rising Russian and Chinese activity.

In a fresh move, Trump said Saturday that Washington will impose 10% tariffs on goods from eight European nations, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland, from Feb. 1, rising to 25% in June, for their opposition to US control of Greenland.

Following the announcement, the eight European countries issued a joint statement on Sunday, denouncing the US threat and reaffirming their commitment to Arctic security.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin acknowledged last week Greenland's legal status as part of Denmark, also describing the recent situation on the island as "very controversial."

"We proceed from the understanding that Greenland is a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said.