By Talking about Annexing Greenland, Pro-Kremlin Bloggers Say, Trump has Legitimized Moscow’s Actions in Ukraine and is leading Other Countries to Think about Seizing Neighboring Lands

Paul Goble
    Staunton, Jan. 9 – Pro-Kremlin bloggers are delighted with US President Elect Donald Trump’s suggestion that he will annex Greenland, not only because in their view it undermines the past international order and divides the West but first and foremost because it legitimizes what Moscow is doing in Ukraine and led other countries to talk about expanding borders.
    And if Trump then absorbs Canada, one of their number asks, “why then can’t we do the same with the Baltic countries?” (business-gazeta.ru/article/659409, meduza.io/en/feature/2025/01/10/america-has-legitimized-redrawing-the-world-map and meduza.io/paragraph/2025/01/10/tramp-govorit-o-prisoedinenii-kanady-i-grenlandii-z-blogery-v-vostorge-vot-on-dolgozhdannyy-novyy-mir-gde-vse-reshaet-pravo-silnogo).
    The bloggers are most pleased with the say in which Trump’s words can be used to legitimize Putin’s actions but some of them are delighted as well that other world leaders are picking up on the idea of annexation and considering moving against their neighbors as well (e.g., vz.ru/opinions/2025/1/9/1307669.html).
    There is of course on limit to such Russian delight: no one must seek to absorb part of Russia regardless of available precedents. Those who even hint at that are already being denounced in the strongest terms as when Lithuania spoke about its traditions in Kaliningrad (eadaily.com/ru/news/2025/01/10/zaharova-nausede-uchi-istoriyu-durilka-kartonnaya).