Andrew Osborne
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that ownership of Greenland was not a concern for Russia, criticizing the United States and Denmark’s historical handling of the island and that the issue should be resolved between the two countries.
Moscow is pleased that U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland have widened Washington’s rift with Europe, although his move could have repercussions for Russia, which already has strong influence in the Arctic.
Speaking in Davos on Wednesday, Trump dropped his threat to impose tariffs as a means of seizing Greenland and ruled out the use of force. He suggested progress on an agreement to end a dispute over Denmark’s semi-autonomous territory that could lead to the worst rupture in transatlantic relations in decades.
Speaking publicly for the first time, Putin said Russia would not oppose Trump’s push to take control of Greenland, which he speculated could be worth nearly $1 billion.
“What happens in Greenland has nothing to do with us,” Putin told a Russian Security Council meeting.
Putin added: “By the way, Denmark has always considered Greenland a colony and its attitude towards it has been quite severe, if not cruel. But that is a completely different matter, and almost no one is interested in it now.”
Billion dollar price tag?
Denmark’s financial and military support for Ukraine has angered Russia, which is pushing for full control of four Ukrainian regions it claims by 2022.
Russia’s foreign ministry has bristled at Trump’s assertions that Moscow also has ambitions in Greenland, but has been careful not to criticize Trump – who is trying to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine – and has suggested it has some sympathy for his claims.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that the resource-rich giant island already has a U.S. military presence but is not a “natural part” of Denmark.
Putin recalled that Russia sold Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million in 1867, and Denmark sold the Virgin Islands to Washington in 1917, setting a precedent for such land transactions.
Putin said that using Alaska prices (adjusted for inflation and taking into account Greenland’s larger size and changes in the price of gold), buying Greenland from Denmark would likely cost about $1 billion, which he believed Washington could afford.
“I think they will solve this problem on their own,” Putin said.
(Reporting by Andrew Osborne; Editing by Sharon Singleton Editing by Sharon Singleton)
