EU foreign policy chief Kaja Karas said Greenland’s sovereignty must be respected.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is closely monitoring Donald Trump’s territorial claims to Greenland, after the US president-elect refused to rule out using force to acquire Danish territory.

“We are following this rather dramatic development closely. Thankfully, it remains at the level of a statement,” Peskov told a news conference in Moscow on Thursday.

Trump on Tuesday reiterated his desire for the United States to take control of Greenland. When a reporter asked him if he ruled out using economic or military force to acquire Greenland, Trump responded: “I’m not going to commit to that.”

“We need Greenland for national security purposes,” Trump later said.

This mineral-rich island is an autonomous territory of Denmark located in in the arcticIn recent years, Russia, China and the United States have been vying for supremacy.

Regarding the Arctic region, Peskov reiterated its strategic importance to Russia.

“The Arctic is a region of our national and strategic interests. We are in the Arctic now and will continue to be so. Maintaining regional peace and stability is vital and we are willing to work with all countries to achieve this goal.”

Peskov also criticized European leaders’ reaction to Trump’s comments. “Europe’s response has been very timid – clearly they are hesitant to challenge Trump’s rhetoric,” he said.

EU calls for respect for sovereignty

Later on Thursday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Karas said Greenland’s sovereignty must be respected.

“Greenland is part of Denmark (an EU member state),” Karas told reporters. “We must respect Greenland’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

Karas said she had spoken with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen after Trump’s remarks.

“She ensured that relations between Denmark and the United States were very good,” Karas said.

Frederiksen will meet with Danish party leaders later on Thursday, her office told AFP.

“Meeting with party leaders allows us to share the steps the government has taken over the past few days,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lok Rasmussen told reporters.

Rasmussen noted that while he did not believe Denmark was in a “foreign policy crisis,” that did not mean “there wouldn’t be a crisis if words were translated into actions.”

in a statement On Wednesday, Greenland’s government reaffirmed its right to self-determination, adding it “looks forward to engaging with the Trump administration.”

It said it would continue to work with the United States “as one of our closest partners.”

The statement said: “Greenland and the United States have had defense cooperation for more than 80 years for the security of Greenland, the United States and other countries in the Western world.”