Alpha News

Greenland: Russia Accuses NATO of Militarizing the Arctic

Published January 16, 2026, 08:36

Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin has accused NATO of seeking to militarize the Arctic, amid US President Donald Trump's desire to “acquire” the vast island, which is a self-governing territory of Denmark, and announcements by European countries about troop deployments. Barbin argued that NATO member states are using the alleged threat from Russia and China as a pretext to increase their military presence in the region. Russia assures it has no plans to attack in the Arctic and accuses Copenhagen of adopting a confrontational approach. Despite the assurances, Russia considers the Arctic vital to its interests and has expanded its military presence in the area, while Trump continues to push for the acquisition of Greenland for “national security” reasons.