Russia has firmly rejected a recent proposal by US Army Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Fritz, who suggested that the United States should buy the Commander Islands from Russia for $15 billion to bolster Arctic security and monitor Chinese submarines.
The idea provoked a swift and pointed response from Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry. She called the suggestion absurd and emphasized that selling Russian territory is both legally and morally one of the gravest crimes in the country.
“This isn’t even worth commenting on. Selling the Motherland is, both by law and by conscience, one of the most terrible crimes in our country.”
Zakharova added that the United States should consider addressing its own mounting national debt before entertaining the idea of territorial acquisitions.
Why the US Wants the Commander Islands
Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Fritz, who specializes in securing US Army land operations, argued that acquiring the Commander Islands would offer Washington a strategic advantage in tracking Chinese submarine movements attempting to enter the Arctic Ocean.
“The proposal is for the United States to achieve a peaceful and pragmatic acquisition of the Commander Islands from the Russian Federation for $15 billion to monitor potential Chinese submarine activity.”
Fritz compared the idea to the historic purchase of Alaska in 1867, which was initially mocked but later proved crucial for American energy and defense strategy. He claimed a similar outcome could emerge from buying the Commander Islands, potentially helping to “strengthen Arctic security, reunite dispersed indigenous peoples, and reaffirm American leadership in a rapidly developing region.”
Russian Law Prohibits Any Territorial Sale
Alexey Chepa, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, also responded, stressing that the sale of Russian territory is strictly forbidden by the country’s Constitution.
“Our Constitution explicitly prohibits this. We do not trade Russian territories. Where the Russian flag has once been raised, it should remain forever — as Emperor Nicholas I once said.”
Chepa dismissed the American proposal as political theatrics, comparing it to past statements by Donald Trump about purchasing Greenland. In both cases, he said, the suggestions serve as little more than publicity stunts with no grounding in political reality.
