Why Trump's pursuit of Greenland could be cheered on by Russia

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's ongoing pursuit of Greenland may have raised the hackles of Denmark, which retains sovereignty over the Arctic island, but his territorial ambitions seem to be gaining traction in an unlikely quarter: Russia.

High-profile political pundits close to Russian President Vladimir Putin have already voiced their support for Trump's re-stated ambition to buy Greenland and expand U.S. territory to include the resource-rich island — commenting that such a move would validate every other country's expansionist territorial ambitions, and most importantly, Russia's.

Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social in December that he saw "ownership" of Greenland as essential for the U.S.' economic and national security, restating a bid for the island that he made in his first term as president.

On Tuesday, Trump doubled-down on those comments and said he would not rule out using force to take Greenland, as well as the Panama Canal. Trump has also mooted the idea of turning Canada into the 51st state and to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Trump's comments were condemned in Europe, with France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stating Wednesday the European Union would not tolerate attacks on its sovereign borders.

The president-elect's position has found favor in Moscow, however, with largely positive coverage by Russian state media and political figures.

Russian TV presenter and Kremlin ally Vladimir Solovyov, hosting a debate on Trump's pronouncements on his primetime show, said Trump's position essentially gave Moscow the right to demand the restoration of its own former Soviet empire, including the Baltic nations of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

Other pro-Kremlin