Has Russia actually expressed interest in acquiring Greenland?

1. What Moscow has officially said: legal status acknowledged, situation monitored

The Kremlin’s public posture has been to affirm Greenland’s legal status as Danish territory while describing the American discussion about buying or seizing the island as “unusual” or “extraordinary” from an international‑law perspective, and to say that Russia is monitoring developments rather than making competing territorial claims ^{[1] [2]}.

2. What Russian leadership and official channels have signalled about Arctic interests

At the same time, Russian statecraft has long treated the Arctic as a strategic priority — Moscow stresses its vast Arctic coastline, military infrastructure, Northern Sea Route and resource ambitions — and Russian officials and commentators note that any U.S. pivot to Greenland would affect Russian Arctic calculations, a point repeatedly made in coverage of the debate ^{[4] [3]}.

3. The tone from pro‑Kremlin media and political figures: gloating, taunting, and rhetorical opportunism

While the Kremlin’s formal line is cautious, pro‑Kremlin newspapers and some senior Russian political figures have publicly gloatingly portrayed U.S. moves as a European humiliation and an opportunity for Moscow, with outlets and commentators celebrating the strains President Trump’s campaign has placed on NATO and Europe ^{[5] [6] [3]}.

4. Where rhetoric can be read as interest — and where it cannot

Reporting shows a distinction between expressions of strategic interest in the Arctic and any explicit Russian intent to acquire Greenland: analysts and Russian commentators point to Moscow’s desire for a stronger Arctic presence and to geopolitical openings created by transatlantic rifts, but none of the cited coverage documents an official Russian demand to buy or annex Greenland ^{[4] [3] [5]}. Putin’s broader remarks about historical roots for U.S. designs and commentary that Moscow “covets its own presence” in the Arctic amount to strategic positioning rather than a concrete acquisition plan ^[3].

5. How Western and independent experts interpret Russian posture

Western reporting and independent analysts note that Moscow benefits politically from divisions among NATO allies and from distractions in Europe, and therefore has incentive to amplify U.S.–Europe tensions, yet several experts argue there is no immediate or credible Russian military threat to Greenland comparable to the rhetoric used by U.S. officials — a reading that separates opportunistic commentary from an actual takeover strategy ^{[3] [7]}.

6. The practical reality and diplomatic signaling

Russia’s current behavior, as reported, is principally diplomatic signaling and media‑level opportunism: Moscow publicly monitors the debate, criticizes Western double standards, and enjoys the geopolitical ripple effects while stopping short of staking a territorial claim or making diplomatic moves to acquire Greenland itself — a posture aligned with acknowledging Greenland’s status as Danish territory and avoiding an escalation that would have major legal and geopolitical costs ^{[2] [1] [6]}.

Conclusion — direct answer

Has Russia actually expressed interest in acquiring Greenland? No credible reporting in the provided sources documents an official Russian claim or formal attempt to acquire Greenland; rather, Moscow has emphasized its Arctic interests, monitored and commented on U.S. moves, and allowed pro‑Kremlin voices to taunt Europe — a mixture of strategic concern and rhetorical opportunism but not an expressed policy to take ownership of Greenland ^{[1] [4] [5]}.