The Trump administration is actively weighing a proposal to offer substantial financial incentives to Greenland’s residents in hopes of persuading the territory to break away from Danish rule and align itself with the United States, Reuters has reported.
According to sources cited by Reuters, American officials—including senior White House staff—have floated payment amounts ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per person. For Greenland’s approximate 57,000 inhabitants, this initiative could cost the U.S. government anywhere between just over $500 million to nearly $6 billion.
While conversations regarding a one-time payout have surfaced previously, the latest developments suggest that the administration’s commitment has deepened, with officials now entertaining the possibility of more generous compensation packages.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Wednesday that he intends to confer with his Danish counterpart next week regarding Greenland.
President Donald Trump has maintained that the United States should acquire Greenland, citing the island’s mineral resources as critical to furthering U.S. military technology and asserting that American geopolitical influence should encompass the entire Western Hemisphere.
Speaking to the press on Sunday, Trump highlighted security concerns, pointing to a strong presence of Russian and Chinese vessels near Greenland. He further claimed that Denmark, which holds sovereignty over Greenland, is unable to provide the level of defense and oversight necessary to satisfy U.S. national security interests.
Officials from both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly rejected the notion of selling the island, while European leaders have criticized Washington’s overtures on grounds that it could undermine trust and cooperation between the U.S. and Denmark, both NATO allies. The provision of mutual defense under NATO makes any prospective territorial sale a particularly sensitive matter.
Greenland’s strategic importance has escalated as global warming accelerates, opening up new northern trade passages. The island’s position makes it a key potential conduit for shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
