"We are interested in preserving the atmosphere of peace and stability in the Arctic zone. We are watching the rather dramatic development of the situation very closely," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said following U.

Putin's spokesperson also slammed Europe for responding to the president-elect's claims "almost in a whisper."

Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to seize the world's largest island, and the Kremlin's concern is no surprise, given the Arctic's growing economic and geopolitical significance to Moscow.

A polar bear family group, consisting of an adult female and two cubs, crosses glacier ice in Southeast Greenland in this handout photograph taken in September 2016. NASA OMG/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Thursday said that Russia had strategic national interests in the Arctic when asked to comment on U.

Russia has said it is closely watching the situation with Greenland, following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's refusal to rule out military or economic measures to take control of the territory from Denmark.

The Kremlin says it’s watching with “great interest” President-elect Trump’s ambitions for the U.S. to acquire Greenland. Trump declined to rule out using military force in his pursuit of Greenland this week,

The Kremlin said Thursday that it's keeping a close eye on President-elect Donald Trump's ongoing pursuit of Greenland.