Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to distance Moscow from Donald Trump’s ambitions regarding Greenland, saying the issue is one for the United
States and its NATO allies to resolve internally. At the same time, Putin struck a sympathetic note toward the people of the Arctic island and openly welcomed Trump’s push to draw Greenland closer to the United States, despite the US president citing alleged threats from Russia as justification for annexing the territory. Putin, at his televised remarks at the National Security Council meeting, said, "What happens to Greenland is none of your business." Also Read: Putin's Old, Unfiltered Dig at Europe Resurfaces as Region Faces Worst Security Nightmare – Watch "Incidentally, Denmark has always treated Greenland as a colony and has been quite harsh, if not cruel, towards it. But that's a different matter entirely, and I doubt anyone's interested in it right now. "It certainly doesn't concern us. I think they'll sort it out among themselves," he said. He mentioned that in 1917, Denmark had sold the Virgin Islands to th United States. Putin also pointed out that Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867 for USD 7.2 million. Moscow’s apparent acquiescence to Trump’s plans suggests a calculated effort to exploit the crisis to erode Western unity while diverting US attention. The approach also appears to be paying off. Despite strong pushback from allies, Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping as an “incredible man” who has achieved “amazing” things and is “highly respected by everybody,” while once again highlighting his long-standing positive rapport with both Xi and Putin. As tensions flared this week between the United States and Europe over Trump’s push to acquire Greenland, Russian officials, state-backed media and pro-Kremlin bloggers reacted with a mix of glee, gloating and caution. Some hailed Trump’s move as historic, while others argued it would weaken the European Union and NATO, an outcome Moscow would likely welcome, and divert Western attention away from Russia’s war in Ukraine.
