The Foreign Ministry said it was premature to assess Trump's intentions on Canada and Greenland

It will be possible to draw any concrete conclusions from the statements of US President-elect Donald Trump about his intentions to annex the territories of Greenland and Canada, as well as to comment on this topic only after he officially becomes head of state. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on January 10.

"That's when he takes office, then it will be possible to comment on this, so to speak, as an official position of the state. At this stage, he is only preparing for it," RIA Novosti quoted the diplomat as saying.

Imperial handwringing: why Trump wants Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal

The U.S. president-elect is returning to a policy of seizing territory and resources, experts believe

Earlier, on January 8, Zakharova also noted that Trump's inauguration has not yet taken place, so he cannot speak for the entire state and the people of the United States as an American leader. According to the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, with a number of such statements, Trump "gives backward passes to what [has] been said to him as well, as far as Canada is concerned, what only he has not heard in his address."

Trump voiced the suggestion that Canada could become a new U.S. state during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Dec. 3. At the time, he added that an annexation could materialize if Ottawa failed to address illegal migration and drug smuggling.

Later, on January 7, Trump published a map with Canada annexed to the US on his Truth Social network. On the same day, he said Greenland should become part of the U.S. for national security and defense against alleged Chinese and Russian threats. At the same time, Trudeau also rejected Trump's proposal to make Canada the 51st state of the US. He emphasized that Canada and the U.S. are critical partners in trade and security and the peoples of both countries benefit from such cooperation.

In turn, the Prime Minister of the Canadian province of Ontario, Doug Ford, offered to acquire Alaska on January 7 amid Trump's statement. Ford added that under his watch, Canada's annexation to the United States will not happen.

The election for the 47th president of the United States was held on November 5, 2024. In the popular vote, Trump received 51% of the vote and Harris received 47.4%. Later, Trump, speaking to supporters, called himself the 47th president of the United States and said that he considers his goal as head of state to be the end of military conflicts in the world. His inauguration ceremony is scheduled for January 20.