Putin says who owns Greenland is of no concern to Russia, says it might be worth $1 billion
By Andrew Osborn
MOSCOW, January 21 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that ownership of Greenland was not Russia’s concern and that the United States and Denmark, whose historical attitude towards the island he criticized, should resolve the issue among themselves.
Moscow watched with glee as US President Donald Trump’s move to seize Greenland deepened Washington’s divide with Europe; although these moves could have consequences for Russia, which already has a strong Arctic presence.
Speaking in Davos on Wednesday, Trump backed away from threats to impose tariffs as leverage to seize Greenland and ruled out the use of force. He suggested progress towards a deal to end the dispute over the semi-autonomous Danish territory, which risks the deepest rupture in transatlantic relations in decades.
Putin, who raised the issue publicly for the first time, signaled that Russia would not object to Trump’s attempt to control Greenland, which he estimated could be worth about $1 billion.
Speaking at the Russian Security Council meeting, Putin said, “What is happening in Greenland does not concern us at all.”
“By the way, Denmark has always treated Greenland like a colony and behaved quite harshly, even cruelly, towards it. But this is a completely different matter and almost no one is interested in it anymore,” Putin said. he added.
ONE BILLION DOLLAR PRICE TAG?
Denmark’s financial and military support for Ukraine has angered Russia, which is fighting to gain full control of four Ukrainian regions it claims as its own in 2022.
Russia’s foreign ministry reined in Trump’s suggestion that Moscow also has ambitions over Greenland, but was careful not to criticize Trump for trying to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine, implying sympathy for his claim.
The giant resource-rich island, where there is a current US military presence, is not a “natural part” of Denmark, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.
Putin reminded that Russia sold Alaska to the USA for 7.2 million dollars in 1867, and Denmark sold the Virgin Islands to Washington in 1917, setting a precedent for such land transactions.
Using the price of Alaska, which is adjusted for inflation and takes into account the size of Greenland and changes in gold prices, Putin said buying Greenland from Denmark could cost about $1 billion and that he thought Washington could afford it.
“I think they will solve this among themselves,” Putin said.
(Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Sharon Singleton Editing by Sharon Singleton)
