Russia, which controls more than half of the Arctic coastline and operates the world’s only fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, is seeking to exploit divisions within NATO over the Arctic while insisting it poses no threat to Greenland.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has insisted that claims portraying Moscow as a threat to Greenland are unfounded.

“Russia is the greatest Arctic power… Greenland is an issue that affects two specific countries and has nothing to do with us,” Putin said at an Arctic forum in the northern city of Murmansk.

He added that Moscow wants to cooperate in developing the region not only with Arctic states but with all interested parties, including the United States and China, identified by Washington as another potential threat to Greenland.

Greenland not a Trump whim, says Putin

After weeks of silence on the issue, Putin said the incumbent US administration’s plans to “annex” Greenland are not “a crazy idea” of President Donald Trump.

He recalled that Washington had previously sought to acquire the Danish autonomous territory and Iceland in 1860, although the US Congress did not support the initiative.

“What is happening now is not surprising. The United States has serious plans regarding Greenland. These plans have deep historical roots,” Putin said. “It is obvious that Washington will continue to consistently promote its geostrategic, political-military, and economic interests in the Arctic.”

Putin also drew parallels with the 1867 purchase of Alaska from Tsarist Russia, noting that the American press at the time described the deal as “madness.”

“Today, the acquisition of Alaska is probably viewed very differently in the United States, as are the actions of President Andrew Johnson,” he said.

Since Trump revived the idea of buying Greenland, Russian commentators have repeatedly recalled, often with regret. the sale of Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million, or roughly $4.73 per square kilometer, an amount equivalent to more than $150 million today.

Russian economist Anton Sviridenko has argued that, given Greenland’s natural resources are estimated at $4 trillion, Washington would need to pay at least $1 trillion for the territory.

However, he said it was unlikely the United States would agree to such a figure, which he described as Greenland’s “real price,” noting that US President Harry Truman offered $100 million for the island in 1946.

Suez alternative and a tunnel to Alaska

Since Trump’s return to the White House, Russia has included Arctic cooperation among its proposals for political and economic normalization with the US.

The Kremlin has noted that Arctic regions account for about 7 percent of Russia’s GDP and 11 percent of its exports, stressing that the Trump administration has shown interest in exploiting rare earth metals there, as well as in liquefied natural gas projects.

Another proposal that has surfaced is the construction of a tunnel across the Bering Strait linking Russia and the United States, reportedly to be named after the two presidents and potentially undertaken by Elon Musk.

As for China, Moscow wants Beijing to invest in the Northern Sea Route, from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, as a faster alternative to the Suez Canal.

With the support of icebreakers, the route significantly reduces shipping times.

Acknowledging that the project will not be viable without Chinese cargo and investment in Arctic ports, Putin has set a target of moving 100 million tons of goods by 2030, up from just four million tons in 2014.

To support this goal, he announced that three additional icebreakers are under construction, while admitting that Russian shipyards lack the capacity to build the merchant and rescue vessels needed to fully service the route.

Militarization and nuclear testing

Russia has long accused NATO of increasing the militarization of the Arctic, a claim that has intensified since Sweden and Finland, two countries with Arctic interests, joined the alliance.

Russian Navy chief Admiral Alexander Moiseyev recently warned of “preparations for a possible military confrontation in the region under the pretext of protecting against threats from Russia and China.”

“Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic,” Putin said. “We will not allow any infringement on our country’s sovereignty and will firmly defend our national interests.”

He acknowledged that Moscow is strengthening its military capabilities in the Arctic Circle, including through the modernization of former Soviet-era bases.

In this context, Russia has established a testing ground in the Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya for the possible resumption of nuclear tests.