US officials, including White House advisors, are discussing a plan to offer a lump-sum cash payment to Greenlanders. The goal is to encourage them to secede from Denmark and potentially integrate with the US, Reuters reported on 8/1, citing four informed sources.

While the exact amount and implementation details remain unclear, two sources indicated that the one-time payment being discussed ranges from $10,000 to $100,000 per Greenlander.

Observers suggest this idea of direct payments to Greenland residents offers insight into how the US aims to "acquire" the island. When questioned about discussions regarding buying Greenland, including direct payments to residents, the White House did not deny the reports. Instead, it referred to earlier statements by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

During a press briefing on 7/1, Leavitt confirmed that President Trump and his advisors were "considering an acquisition". Secretary of State Rubio also stated he would meet his Danish counterpart in Washington next week to discuss Greenland.

Greenland's flag flies atop Tivoli Castle in Copenhagen, 8/1. Photo: AFP

Copenhagen and Greenland's representative office in Washington have not commented on the idea of direct payments to the island's residents. Sources also remain unclear about any conditions Greenlanders would need to meet to receive funds from the US.

According to sources, the US President's advisory team discussed scenarios for controlling Greenland even before Trump took office. These discussions intensified recently after Washington launched a raid to arrest Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on 3/1.

One source revealed that White House advisors want to capitalize on the "momentum" from the Venezuela operation to advance Trump's geopolitical objectives. Another source noted that the idea of paying Greenlanders "is not new", but recent discussions have considered higher amounts.

If the US were to pay $100,000 to each of Greenland's 57,000 residents, the total cost would amount to $5.7 billion, a sum deemed "feasible".

Location of Greenland. Graphic: Britannica

The US government recently increased its efforts to gain control over Greenland following months of reduced activity. President Trump believes the US needs the island for defense purposes and has not ruled out military measures to achieve this objective.

Danish and Greenlandic leaders have repeatedly asserted that the island is not for sale. Opinion polls also indicate that most Greenlanders do not wish for the island to be annexed by the US.

On 7/1, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and Denmark issued a joint statement opposing the US's idea of annexing Greenland. They emphasized their commitment to protecting universal principles of "sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of borders".

Greenland, the world's largest island, is located near North America, between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It is an autonomous territory of Denmark, with a population of 57,000 and an area of approximately 2.16 million km2, making it larger than Mexico and over three times the size of the US state of Texas.

The island's position on the shortest route from North America to Europe makes it a strategically important location for Washington. Greenland also possesses abundant, largely untapped mineral resources.

Duc Trung (According to Reuters, AP, CNN)