Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday weighed in on the renewed international debate over Greenland, suggesting that the Arctic island could be valued at between $200 million and $1 billion, despite Denmark’s firm opposition to any potential sale to the United States.
Speaking during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council—his second this week—Putin drew a historical comparison with the 19th-century sale of Alaska, which Russia sold to the United States in 1867. He noted that Greenland’s surface area is slightly larger than Alaska’s, arguing that, based on the original purchase price, Greenland could be valued at around $200 to $250 million in historical terms.
“If we compare that figure to gold prices at the time, the amount would be higher today, likely closer to $1 billion,” Putin said, adding that the United States would be capable of paying such a sum. According to Putin, Washington paid $7.2 million for Alaska, equivalent to $4.73 per square kilometer, a figure he estimated would translate to roughly $158 million in today’s dollars.
Putin also criticized Denmark’s historical treatment of Greenland, describing it as colonial and “quite harsh, if not cruel,” according to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency. Despite these remarks, he emphasized that the issue does not directly concern Moscow and expressed confidence that Washington and Copenhagen would eventually reach an agreement.
