"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.

Putin's spokesperson also slammed Europe for responding to the president-elect's claims "almost in a whisper."

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.