Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to seize the world's largest island, and the Kremlin's concern is no surprise, given the Arctic's growing economic and geopolitical significance to Moscow.

"We are interested in preserving the atmosphere of peace and stability in the Arctic zone. We are watching the rather dramatic development of the situation very closely," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said following U.

The Kremlin on Thursday said that Russia had strategic national interests in the Arctic when asked to comment on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's remarks about acquiring Greenland, absorbing Canada and taking control of the Panama Canal.

The Kremlin on Friday accused the administration of US President Joe Biden of trying to leave President-elect Donald Trump the most toxic legacy possible and said Biden might therefore impose a final round of sanctions on Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments during a conference call with reporters.

President Joe Biden's administration announced Friday that it's expanding sanctions against Russia's critically important energy sector, unveiling a new effort to inflict pain on Moscow for its grindi

Biden administration officials say the sanctions are being imposed now because they are not likely to add to inflation