COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Russia’s ambassador to Denmark has accused Washington of provoking confrontation in the Arctic in order to achieve dominance in a region where Moscow has invested heavily.

The accusation came after the United States last week announced $12.1 million in economic aid to Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, to strengthen ties and boost the country’s hunt for mineral resources.

“Now, the United States instead of dialogue and cooperation relies exclusively on the policy of confrontation in the region, hoping thereby to achieve dominance in this part of the world,” Russian envoy Vladimir Barbin told daily Politiken.

Barbin referred to a recent statement by the U.S. ambassador to Denmark, Carla Sands, who called Russian activities in the Arctic “aggressive” and a challenge to Western peace ambitions.

The Russian embasy in Copenhagen was not immediately able to confirm the comments when contacted by phone.

The Arctic has increasingly come in focus in Washington after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in May last year first criticised Russia’s and China’s behaviour, and later when President Donald Trump offered to buy Greenland from Denmark.

Russia has ambitious plans to build ports along the so-called Northern Sea Route, which would shorten the distance between China and Europe, and has beefed up its military presence in its Arctic areas.

China has also encouraged enterprises to build infrastructure in the Arctic as part of a Polar Silk Road. A bid by a Chinese construction to help expand three airports in Greenland was effectively blocked by the United States, a close ally of Denmark.

“There is a sick attitude to large-scale investment projects of other states, as well as the advancement of various conspiracy theories and conjectures regarding economic activities in the Arctic of other states,” Barbin said.

Greenland is strategically important for the U.S. military and its ballistic missile early-warning system since the shortest route from Europe to North America runs via the Arctic island.