Reuters reported on Thursday that the American government is considering paying a one-time payment of 10,000-100,000 PLN to the inhabitants of Greenland. dollars to persuade them to secede from Denmark and join the USA. The authorities of Greenland and Denmark rule out the possibility of the United States taking over the island.
$6 billion for Greenlanders
One-off payments benefits for approximately 57 thousand inhabitants of Greenland This is one of the scenarios considered by the White House of taking over the island, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark, wrote Reuters, citing four people familiar with the matter.
It was added that the idea itself is not new, but discussions on such a solution have heated up in recent days. President Donald Trump's advisers are also considering higher amounts to be paid to Greenlanders, the agency noted.
If every inhabitant of the island received 100,000. dollars, the USA would have to pay a total of nearly $6 billion.
However, the details of the plan are still unclear. It is not known when and how the Greenlanders would receive the money, or what exactly the American government would expect from them in return, Reuters emphasized.
The case is back on the agenda
After the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by American troops on January 3, Trump and his associates returned to their earlier announcements of taking over Greenland.
“President Trump has made it clear that acquiring Greenland is a U.S. national security priority and is crucial to deterring our adversaries in the Arctic region,” wrote White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in response to questions from PAP and other media about the president's latest statements.
Europe says no
The authorities of both Greenland and Denmark are firmly against Trump's announcements.
The leaders of Poland, Denmark, France, Spain, Germany, Great Britain and Italy issued a joint statement on Tuesday in which they emphasized that only Denmark and Greenland can make decisions about the future of the island.
There has been a long-standing discussion in Greenland about declaring independence and separating from Denmark. However, concerns about the economic costs of such a decision prevent local authorities from calling a referendum on this matter, noted Reuters.
According to polls, the majority of Greenlanders support separation from Denmark, but are opposed to joining the US.
One method of effectively subordinating Greenland to the US could be to sign a Compact of Free Association (COFA) agreement with the island's authorities, Reuters wrote. Washington has already concluded such agreements with three countries: the Marshall Islands, Palau and Micronesia. However, these are independent countries.
According to Reuters, the purpose of paying possible one-off benefits could be to encourage Greenlanders to support the island's independence and then conclude a COFA-type agreement with the US.
The opposition demands troops from European countries in Greenland
Four Danish opposition parties are demanding that Mette Frederiksen's government create a military contingent of European countries in Greenland. This would be a response to the US threats to seize this island, dependent on Denmark.
The leader of the Red-Greens, Pelle Dragsted, wrote on Platform X that “Denmark, the Nordic countries and Europe must commit everything to defend Greenland and its people.” “No more meekness and submission,” he appealed.
According to TV2, similar views have been expressed in recent days by representatives of the Conservative People's Party, the Danish Social Liberal Party and the far-left Alternative grouping.
The Prime Minister, representing the Danish Social Democrats, led to the issuance of a joint statement on Tuesday with Germany, France, Great Britain, Spain, Italy and Poland in the context of American threats against Greenland. The leaders of European countries declared that they would not stop defending territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. However, the declaration does not mention a military contingent.
In September 2025, Arctic Light military maneuvers took place in Greenland with the participation of 550 soldiers from Denmark, Germany, France, Norway and Sweden. In August, the Danish armed forces held exercises PASSEX (Passage Exercise) with France near the Greenlandic town of Qaqortoq and participated in the Canadian-led Operation Nanook Tuugaalik, in which French and German units also took part.
Greenland does not have its own army, and the island's security is provided by the Danish Arctic Command (Danish: Arktisk Kommando), stationed in the port in the capital of Greenland – Nuuk. It consists of 250-300 Danish soldiers, famous for using dog sleds in extreme Arctic conditions.
Due to tensions between Denmark and the US over Greenland, a high-level meeting with US Secretary of State Mark Rubio is scheduled to take place in Washington next week. In addition to the Danish authorities, representatives of the Greenlandic government are also expected to take part in the talks.
In Greenland, Pele Broberg, leader of the local opposition Naleraq party, which supports immediate declaration of independence and close cooperation with the US, called on the Greenlandic government to enter into talks with the White House, bypassing Copenhagen.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken about the need for the United States to take over Greenland since the beginning of his second term in January 2025. He returned to this rhetoric after US troops attacked Venezuela on Saturday and kidnapped its leader Nicolas Maduro.
At the same time, the United States remains an ally of Denmark in Greenland under the agreement of 1951. The United States has the Pituffik military base in the northwest of the island, its task is to analyze space and warn against ballistic missiles. There are 150 American servicemen on site and a Danish liaison officer responsible for cooperation with the authorities of Denmark and Greenland. The remaining several hundred people are civilian staff.
Daniel Zyśk (PAP)
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