Trump had on Wednesday even suggested the large island is "vital" to his proposed Golden Dome air and missile defense system. The same day, European countries made clear they would bolster their forces on the territory which is a possession of Denmark. 

France, Sweden, Germany and Norway have confirmed they would deploy military personnel to Greenland, as Copenhagen tries to convince the White House to join a permanent NATO mission on the island as an alternative to taking it over.

Germany's Defense Ministry has agreed that a European NATO mission is needed to bolster security "in light of Russian and Chinese threats in the Arctic."

This has angered Moscow, which expressed "serious concern" and charged the West with "militarizing" Greenland, and that Europe is ready to seize the moment "solely to advance an anti-Russian and anti-Chinese agenda."

"NATO has embarked on a course of accelerated militarization of the Arctic, increasing its military presence there under the fabricated pretext of a growing threat from Moscow and Beijing," the Russian embassy in Belgium said late Wednesday.

It added that European officials were already discussing plans to encircle the island and deploy a large-scale collective landing force, accusing them of invoking "mythical threats that they themselves have created." Meanwhile, 'big talk' from Von der Leyen...

VON DER LEYEN: GREENLAND CAN COUNT ON EU

Russia's Foreign Ministry has further made clear the Kremlin believes the Arctic should remain "a region of peace, dialogue and equal cooperation."

It's interesting that Kremlin officials are focusing their harsh rhetoric and condemnations on Europe and not the Trump White House, and the reasons are clear. Moscow is trying to improve its bilateral relations with Washington, and to have Trump's ear related to the Ukraine war and crisis.