Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that ownership of Greenland is not Russia's business and that the United States and Denmark, whose historical relationship with the island he has criticized, should resolve the issue between themselves.
Moscow has watched with satisfaction as US President Donald Trump's push to take over Greenland deepens Washington's rift with Europe, even though such moves could have consequences for Russia, which already has a strong presence in the Arctic, Reuters reports.
Speaking in Davos on Wednesday, Trump dropped threats of tariffs as leverage to seize Greenland and ruled out the use of force. He signaled progress toward a deal that would end a dispute over the semi-autonomous Danish territory that had threatened the deepest rift in transatlantic relations in decades.
Putin, who addressed the issue publicly for the first time, indicated that Russia would have nothing against Trump's initiative to take control of Greenland, which he speculated could be worth almost a billion dollars.
"What is happening in Greenland does not concern us at all," Putin said at a meeting of Russia's Security Council.
"By the way, Denmark has always treated Greenland as a colony and has been quite harsh, if not cruel, towards it. But that's a completely different matter and hardly anyone is interested in it now," Putin added.
A billion dollar price tag?
Denmark's financial and military support for Ukraine has angered Russia, which is waging war to take full control of four Ukrainian regions that it declared its own in 2022.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reacted sensitively to Trump's suggestions that Moscow also has ambitions for Greenland, but was careful not to criticize Trump - who is trying to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine - and indicated that it had some understanding for his claim, Reuters reports.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday that the vast, resource-rich island, which already has a US military presence, is not a "natural part" of Denmark.
Putin recalled that Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867 for $7,2 million, and that Denmark sold the Virgin Islands to Washington in 1917, which, he said, was a precedent for such territorial transactions.
Using the price of Alaska, adjusted for inflation and taking into account Greenland's larger area and changes in the price of gold, Putin said that buying Greenland from Denmark could cost about $1 billion, which, in his opinion, Washington could afford.
"I think they will resolve this among themselves," Putin said.
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