Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday dismissed any Russian interest in Greenland while underscoring Moscow’s ambitions in the Arctic, a region he described as key to the country’s global standing.
Speaking at the Arctic Forum in Murmansk, Putin highlighted increasing geopolitical competition in the region but refrained from criticizing Washington. Instead, he referenced former US President Donald Trump’s earlier proposal to acquire Greenland, saying, “As for Greenland, this is a matter for two specific countries. It has nothing to do with us.”
His remarks come as Russia seeks to recalibrate its relations with the United States, despite ongoing tensions over Ukraine. The Kremlin has been promoting the idea of economic cooperation in the Arctic, an area abundant in natural resources.
Arctic Investments and US-Russia Ties
Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and a key figure in Russia’s foreign economic policy, revealed that talks had already taken place with US officials regarding joint investments in the Arctic.
“We are open to considering different investment opportunities that we can do jointly with the US, in certain sectors approved by the Russian government,” Dmitriev said.
Moscow’s overtures come amid shifting US rhetoric on Russia, particularly from members of the Republican Party. Senior US officials have, in recent weeks, echoed some Kremlin positions on Ukraine, fueling speculation of a potential policy shift under a future Republican administration.
During an interview with former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff appeared to acknowledge the results of Moscow-organised referenda in occupied Ukrainian territories—votes widely dismissed by the international community.
A recent Russian newspaper headline declared: “US and Russian officials are now talking the same language.”
‘A Multi-Polar World’
Nikolai Patrushev, a former head of Russia’s FSB security service and a close aide to Putin, weighed in on the changing dynamics in US-Russia relations.
“In America, there are two parties that compete with one another,” Patrushev said. “When the Democrats were in power, they took one view. The Republicans have another.”
Asked whether the world order was shifting, he remarked, “We used to have a system where two powers dominated the world. Then it was just one. Now we're building a multi-polar world, but with its own peculiarities.”
Moscow’s Vision for the Arctic
Beyond geopolitics, Moscow is eyeing technological partnerships, with Dmitriev particularly singling out Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
“We believe Elon Musk is a great visionary, a great leader, and a very successful person,” he said, adding that Russia’s nuclear technologies could play a role in a mission to Mars.
“There are some video conferences we believe will be upcoming with, let’s say, the Musk team,” he noted.
Public Sentiment and Economic Aspirations
In Murmansk, locals appeared supportive of Arctic development and cautiously optimistic about US cooperation.
“Russia is strong,” said Elina, a resident. “You should always back the strong ones and go along with them.”
Another local, Olga, viewed collaboration with “friendly countries” as beneficial but hesitated when asked if the US fell into that category. “You know what? I can’t decide,” she admitted.
