China, Russia take jabs at US as Trump doubles down on Greenland ambition

The episode came as Trump pushed a controversial deal expanding US military access and rare earth mining in Greenland, straining ties with Europe
PUBLISHED JAN 28, 2026
China’s state media openly mocked the Trump administration after the White House shared a viral penguin meme to promote US ambitions in Greenland (Getty Images, Screengrab/China Xinhua News/X)
China’s state media openly mocked the Trump administration after the White House shared a viral penguin meme to promote US ambitions in Greenland (Getty Images, Screengrab/China Xinhua News/X)

WASHINGTON, DC: As the Trump administration doubles down on its pursuit of Greenland, Russia and China have launched a coordinated wave of mockery and strategic praise to exploit the growing rift between the United States and its European allies. 

While Moscow frames the potential annexation as a path to American greatness, Beijing is using the White House's own social media posts to mock them.

President Donald Trump answers questions from members of the press as he visits the Machine Shed restaurant on January 27, 2026 in Urbandale, Iowa. President Trump is scheduled to speak later at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa. He returns to Iowa for a second time in his second term ahead of the mid-term elections. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump answers questions from members of the press as he visits the Machine Shed restaurant on January 27, 2026 in Urbandale, Iowa (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Russia mocks Trump’s Greenland push in a humorous way

Taking a humorous jab at President Trump, the Russian government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta published an article full of praise describing the potential acquisition of Greenland as his "historic breakthrough."

The paper criticized European leaders for their "stubbornness" and "mock solidarity," suggesting that Europe is actively trying to "drown" the “US president in the midterm congressional elections, on preventing him from concluding the greatest deal of his life."

According to the Rossiyskaya Gazeta, "If Trump annexes Greenland by July 4 2026, when America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, he will go down in history as a figure who asserted the greatness of the United States."

The publication notes that such an event would surpass Canada in area, making the US the second-largest country on Earth, an achievement it places on par with "the abolition of slavery by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 or the territorial conquests of the Napoleonic Wars."

Colorful fishing houses perched on the rocky shoreline of an arctic island. Kangaamiut, Gammel Sukkertoppen, Qeqqata Municipality, Greenland. (Jason Edwards/The Image Bank)
Colorful fishing houses perched on the rocky shoreline of an arctic island. Kangaamiut, Gammel Sukkertoppen, Qeqqata Municipality, Greenland (Jason Edwards/The Image Bank)

Foreign Minister compares Greenland ambition to Crimea

Russia’s encouragement appears strategically designed to widen the rift between the US and its NATO allies. 

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov used the situation to draw parallels to Russia’s own geopolitical actions, stating that "Crimea is just as important for Russia's security as Greenland is for the United States." 

He further mocked the stability of the alliance, highlighting how difficult it had been "to imagine previously that such a thing could happen," that one NATO member might effectively target the interests of another.

Russian commentators have not hidden their satisfaction with the chaos, with the tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets saying, "Europe is at a total loss and, to be honest, it's a pleasure to watch this."



China mocks White House with its own X post

While Russia uses praise to divide, China has turned to satire. Beijing’s state media, led by Xinhua, openly mocked an AI-generated post from the official White House account that featured a penguin to promote US interests in the Arctic. 

Chinese officials were quick to point out a glaring geographical error that penguins are native to the Southern Hemisphere and do not live in Greenland.

The post depicted Donald Trump as Uncle Sam, wielding a baseball bat and dragging a penguin on a leash toward an icy peak.

RELATED TOPICS US GREENLAND RELATIONS AND ARCTIC SECURITY

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