Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Greenland's residents might vote to join Russia if U.S. President Donald Trump does not move quickly to annex the Arctic island. "There will be no new little stars on the flag (the American one)." Trump had earlier renewed his bid for the United States to control Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, saying Washington needs to own it to deter Russia. According to "Interfax" agency, quoting Medvedev, the former Russian president, said: "Trump should hurry up. According to unverified information, a sudden referendum could be held in the coming days, in which all 55,000 residents of Greenland could vote to join Russia... and that's it." The U.S. president said that Greenland's location and resources make it vital for national security, which drew strong objections from Denmark and Greenland. Russia has not claimed Greenland, but it has long been monitoring its strategic role in Arctic security due to its location on North Atlantic routes and the presence of a major U.S. military base there for military and space surveillance. The Kremlin has not commented on Trump's initiative, but described the Arctic as a zone of Russia's national and strategic interests, and last year said it was closely watching the "rather dramatic" discussion around Greenland.
