Putin dismissed his interest in Trump’s push for Greenland, even as the president frames the move as a defense against Russian influence in the Arctic. The post Putin Floats $1B Price Tag for Greenland,

Moscow: With US President Donald Trump’s demand to acquire Greenland putting Denmark on the edge and rocking the unity of NATO, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is not concerned about the issue.

Russian officials and media are reacting to President Donald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland with a mix of glee and caution.

It’s been a long-standing Kremlin strategy to drive a permanent wedge between the United States and Europe, dividing and weakening its traditional adversaries in the West.

Trump has argued that the Arctic island is critical for U.S. security given threats posed by Russia as well as China.

Russian President Vladimir Putin distanced himself from the spat over Greenland between the US, Denmark and other countries in Europe at a meeting of the National Security Council in Moscow on Wednesday.

Donald Trump has been repeatedly insisting that Greenland, a sovereign territory of Denmark, come under the United States. While Trump’s demands have drawn global attention, the real contest for Arctic dominance has been underway for decades — and Russia is far ahead.