Putin says Russia is unconcerned with which country owns Greenland

"What happens in Greenland is of no concern to us whatsoever," Russian President Vladimir Putin said

Published: January 22, 2026 4:48pm

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country is unconcerned with which nation owns Greenland, but estimates its worth at $1 billion.

Putin's remarks on Wednesday come amid the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, at which President Trump continued to talk about the U.S. acquiring Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous Danish territory, Reuters reported.

"What happens in Greenland is of no concern to us whatsoever," Putin said in a meeting of Russia's Security Council.

"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 altogether, and hardly anyone is interested in it now," he also said.

Denmark has supported Ukraine both financially and militarily in its war against Russia.

Trump thinks a larger U.S. presence on the arctic island of Greenland is essential, in large part, to keep in check Russia and China. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday that Greenland was not "a natural part" of Denmark.

Putin noted that Russia sold Alaska to the U.S. in 1867 for $7.2 million, and Denmark sold the Virgin Islands in 1917 to the U.S., setting precedents for such land transactions.

He said that buying Greenland from Denmark could cost around $1 billion, when adjusting the Alaska price for inflation and accounting for the larger size of Greenland and changes in gold prices, which he said he thought the U.S. could afford.

"I think they will sort it out between themselves," Putin said.

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