Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that he was not concerned with the dispute sparked by US President Donald Trump’s demand to acquire Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
“What happens to Greenland is none of our business,” Putin said in televised remarks during a meeting of Russia’s National Security Council.
However, he questioned Denmark’s historical treatment of Greenland, saying it had been harsh.
“Incidentally, Denmark has always treated Greenland as a colony and has been quite harsh, if not cruel, towards it. But that is a different matter entirely, and I doubt anyone is interested in it right now,” Putin said.
“It certainly doesn’t concern us. I think they will sort it out among themselves.”
Putin also did some arithmetic as he recalled that Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million. Adjusted for inflation, he said, that sum would be equivalent to about $158 million today.
“The area of Greenland is somewhat larger—around 2,166,000 square kilometres, perhaps a bit more. That’s a difference of roughly 450,000 square kilometres. So if you compare this with the cost of the United States’ purchase of Alaska, then the price of Greenland would be somewhere around $200 million to $250 million,” the Russian president said.
Putin does math:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 21, 2026
Regarding Greenland… well, this doesn’t concern us at all—what happens with Greenland.
But we do have experience in resolving similar issues with the United States in the 19th century, I believe in 1867. As we know, Russia sold Alaska, and the United States… pic.twitter.com/BF8sHjYmwg
Even as Putin chose to stay out of the current controversy, Trump had cited national security concerns and perceived threats from China and Russia as justification for his bid to acquire Greenland.
“We are going to do something about Greenland, whether they like it or not. If we don’t, Russia or China will take over Greenland—and we’re not going to have Russia or China as neighbours. I would like to make a deal the easy way, but if we don’t do it the easy way, we’ll do it the hard way,” the US president said earlier this month.
On Wednesday, Trump withdrew his threat to impose tariffs on European nations, saying a framework for a long-term agreement had been reached in coordination with Denmark and NATO.
According to reports, the deal is intended to ensure that Russia and China do not gain an economic or military foothold in Greenland.
