₦airaland Forum

credit: DailyMail UK || Alaska News

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/eb756de7c1103a2b1d361962d2ba8714902ed375/0_253_7600_4562/master/7600.jpg?width=465&dpr=2&s=none&crop=none

🇫🇷 France is considering deploying troops to 🇬🇱 Greenland in response to 🇺🇸 US President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks about acquiring the Arctic island, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday.

Barrot confirmed that France discussed the issue with Denmark but stressed there are no immediate plans for action.

“At this point, it is not Denmark’s wish,” Barrot said in an interview with Sud Radio, adding that Europe would act if security interests were threatened.

The comments come as Denmark seeks European support to counter Trump’s growing interest in Greenland. Trump has cited the island’s natural resources and strategic value, stating, “I think we’re going to have it.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has been meeting with European leaders to discuss the matter and dismissed any immediate military threats to Greenland. She emphasized the importance of transatlantic cooperation.

Barrot described the Arctic region as “a new field of conflict,” and Frederiksen signaled a cautious approach, avoiding an escalation of tensions.

Denmark recently announced a €2 billion investment in Arctic defense.

Orthodox Christians across 🇷🇺 Russia celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany on Sunday by plunging themselves into frigid seas, lakes and rivers in just their bathing suits.

According to tradition, one must dip below the water's surface three times to symbolize the Holy Trinity.

In the Black Sea coastal city of Anapa, Russians took their traditional Epiphany dips in waters affected by a major oil spill despite concerns about the toxic pollution.

The Kremlin has not released footage of President Vladimir Putin taking part in Epiphany bathing since 2021.

Here's a selection of photos from this year's celebrations across the country:

Moscow Times

🇺🇸 US President Donald Trump has ridiculed Denmark’s attempts to defend Greenland with additional patrols including two extra dog sleds as he insisted America would take control of the strategically crucial Arctic island.

Denmark’s defence minister has conceded that the Nordic country has not done enough to protect its autonomous territory of Greenland, but revealed plans to spend $1.5bn on two new inspection ships, two drones and two dog sled patrols after Trump renewed his interest in the island.

“I do believe Greenland, we’ll get — because it really has to do with freedom of the world. It has nothing to do with the United States, other than we’re the one that can provide the freedom. They [Denmark] can’t. They put two dog sleds there two weeks ago, they thought that was protection,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One this weekend.

Trump held a 45-minute phone call with Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen last week, which five current and former senior European officials described to the Financial Times as fiery and confrontational.

The officials said the Danish government was in “crisis mode” after Trump took the unprecedented step of refusing to rule out military action to take territory from a Nato ally and threatened targeted tariffs against it. The US already has the sole military base in Greenland, in the north of the island.

Denmark’s military presence on Greenland is currently limited to an Arctic Command of just 75 people and equipment consisting of four ships, a surveillance plane and several dog sled patrols.

https://thenationaldesk.com/resources/media2/16x9/1744/986/0x29/90/06ce69f9-5eb1-4229-8972-3fbfa1d69310-GiDn1r2XgAAN77t.png

🇨🇴 Colombia's President Gustavo Petro will not allow planes from the 🇺🇸 United States carrying migrants on deportation flights to land in the country, he said in a post on Twitter in the early hours of Sunday morning.

"The U.S. cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals," Petro wrote in the post, adding that the government in Washington should develop a protocol that "treats migrants with dignity."

Petro's comments add to the growing chorus of discontent in Latin America over planned mass deportations by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Brazil's foreign ministry said late on Saturday that it would demand explanations from the U.S. government over the "degrading treatment" of Brazilians on a deportation flight, while Mexico on Friday also refused such a flight to land in the country.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately reply to requests for comment.