Russia exploits the Greenland dispute to distract from Ukraine
According to Dr. Sergey Sukhankin, an expert from the Jamestown Foundation, Russia is exploiting the Greenland dispute for propaganda purposes, aiming to divert the West's attention from Ukraine. A few months ago, Russian rhetoric about the Arctic contrasted sharply with that of the United States.
Russian propaganda benefits from the Greenland dispute, which Dr. Sukhankin, from the Washington-based think tank Jamestown Foundation, considers advantageous for Moscow. Russia is closely watching American actions in the Arctic and is trying to redirect the West's focus away from the Ukrainian conflict.
American accusations against Denmark
During a visit to Greenland, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized Denmark for not adequately safeguarding the island's security, suggesting that the United States could better manage the region. This has sparked tension among NATO allies, which Russia is leveraging for its propaganda.
Dr. Sukhankin emphasizes that Russia aims to depict American actions as a further strain on the relationship between the U.S., Europe, and Canada. The Russians are exploiting the fact that Canada does not endorse the "internationalization" of the Arctic, complicating the situation even more.
Russia aims to maintain its stronghold in the Arctic, where it extracts oil and gas that contribute 20 percent of its GDP. Although excluded from the Arctic Council, Moscow hopes for a comeback by capitalizing on the rising concerns of Arctic nations regarding China.
However, Russia faces challenges, such as demographic issues. Despite a larger population in the Russian Arctic, there is still a shortage of people to defend this area. Moscow's distrust of the indigenous peoples in the Arctic adds to the problem.
Russians target Greenland's indigenous peoples
Russian propaganda targets Greenland's indigenous peoples, attempting to persuade them to sever ties with the USA and Denmark. The Kremlin is using anti-colonial rhetoric, despite being perceived as a colonial force itself.
Dr. Sukhankin warns that Russia might try to challenge the legality of the historical Alaska sale, which could ignite tensions in the Arctic. For now, however, Russia is preoccupied with the situation in Ukraine and is unlikely to open a new front.
