MOSCOW, Jan 19 (Reuters): Russia is watching with glee as U.S. President Donald Trump's drive to acquire Greenland widens splits with Europe even though his moves could have serious security ramifications for Moscow, which covets its own presence in the Arctic.

The Kremlin said Trump would go down in history if he took control of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev hailed the "collapse of the transatlantic union." Former President Dmitry Medvedev joked about Europe getting poorer.

Criticism of Trump over Greenland has been notably absent at a time when Russia wants to keep him onside to ensure any end to the war in Ukraine is on Moscow's terms, even though traditional Russian allies Venezuela and Iran are also in his crosshairs.

"There are international experts who believe that by resolving the issue of Greenland's incorporation, Trump will certainly go down in history. And not only in the history of the United States, but also in world history," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. "It's hard not to agree with these experts."

Photo from Reuters