Russia mocks EU as it urges Trump to invade Greenland

Russia media pundits analyse Trump's Greenland threats

Russian state media and television pundits are openly celebrating Donald Trump’s aggressive pursuit of Greenland, mocking European disarray while urging the US president to seize the Arctic territory, seeing the crisis as a perfect chance to exploit and widen cracks in NATO and the transatlantic alliance. In a prominent commentary published yesterday in Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the official government newspaper, the piece heaps praise on Mr Trump and condemns opposition from Copenhagen and fellow European capitals. 

It labels resistance from Denmark, Britain, and France as “stubbornness” and “mock solidarity” from purported American allies. The article presses Mr Trump not to back down, cautioning that retreat would undermine Republicans before November’s midterm elections and deliver Congress to Democrats. Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes: “If Trump annexes Greenland by July 4, 2026, when America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, he will go down in history as a figure who asserted the greatness of the United States.”

President Trump And Russian President Putin pictured in Alaska last year (Image: Getty)

The piece compares the potential acquisition to historic milestones like Abraham Lincoln’s abolition of slavery, asserting it would elevate the US to the world’s second-largest country by land area after Russia, surpassing Canada.

Rossiyskaya Gazeta adds: “Europe does not need the American greatness that Trump is promoting.”

It accuses Brussels of scheming to sabotage Mr Trump via electoral losses, claiming Europe spurns the “American greatness” he espouses. A rapid annexation is framed as the “greatest deal” of his presidency, capable of shifting political momentum for his party.

The tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets has similarly revelled in the turmoil.

Moskovsky Komsomolets states: “Europe is at a total loss and, to be honest, it’s a pleasure to watch this.”

A recent protest in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, attracted almost a third of the city's population (Image: Arctic Creative/HO/AFP via Getty)

It casts Mr Trump’s tariff threats against eight European nations—including the UK, France, Germany, and Nordic countries—as a potent show of strength, compelling the continent to “live by its own rules.” The paper calls it a stark lesson for Russia in bending Europe to its will.

On state-aligned television, pundits on the NTV programme One’s Own Truth, hosted by Roman Babayan with guests including political scientists Sergey Stankevich, Nikolai Starikov, Kirill Yakovlev, and journalist Michael Bohm, expressed outright delight.

They hailed Mr Trump’s “might makes right” approach, praising his rejection of international norms—“forget about international law”—and his view that “strong countries do as they want, and the weak ones must suffer.” The panel saw his Greenland bid as opportunistic empire-building, aimed at countering a supposed “non-existent Chinese-Russian threat,” while exposing NATO’s contradictions.

Sergey Stankevich described it as “delivering a catastrophic blow to NATO because one country that is a member of NATO is taking away the territory that rightfully belongs to a country that is also a member of NATO, despite all protests and despite international law.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (Image: Getty)

Host Roman Babayan enthused: “Yes, it’s wonderful, let them deal with Greenland, I think this benefits us.”

They argued the move submerges the “bridge across the Atlantic Ocean,” fracturing transatlantic unity and forcing Europeans to negotiate with Moscow to salvage a “Euro-NATO.” For Russia, the chaos is “really great,” reviving “sober voices” for dialogue and indirectly pressuring Ukraine.

Kremlin-friendly voices perceive clear advantages. Mr Trump’s fixation on Greenland—fueled by assertions of Russian and Chinese naval activity in the Arctic—has placed enormous pressure on US-European ties and NATO cohesion.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has denounced the tactics as “blackmail,” as European leaders at Davos contend with retaliatory tariffs that could cost billions.

Moscow’s backing serves wider goals: eroding Western solidarity advances Russia’s aims in Ukraine.

Pro-Kremlin figures draw parallels between Mr Trump’s territorial drive and Russia’s actions, normalising such moves.

Mr Trump has pledged to proceed “100 per cent,” refusing to exclude military force, and has linked the matter to his missing Nobel Peace Prize. Greenland’s 57,000 residents, mostly Inuit, have firmly rejected any handover.

As transatlantic divisions deepen, Russia’s media campaign reveals shrewd opportunism: capitalise on rifts without direct action, profiting from turmoil sparked by America’s own leader.