"$100,000 Per Person": Team Trump's 'Money Plan' To Sway Greenlanders Amid Denmark's Warning

The Donald Trump administration in the United States is reportedly planning to offer money to each resident of Greenland to convince them to secede from Denmark and potentially join America. The development came after Denmark warned the US that its soldiers would take up the fight immediately and open fire without awaiting orders from their commanders if anyone were to invade Danish territory in the Arctic. 

Citing sources privy to the development at the White House, news agency Reuters reported that US officials have discussed sending money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per person to Greenlanders to woo them. 

The idea of directly paying residents of Greenland, an overseas territory of Denmark, offers one explanation of how the US might attempt to "buy" the island of 57,000 people, despite authorities' insistence in Copenhagen and Nuuk that Greenland is not for sale. 

The tactic is among various plans being discussed by the White House for acquiring Greenland, including the potential use of the US military. But it risks coming off as overly transactional and even degrading to a population that has long debated its own independence and its economic dependence on Denmark.

A Danish Threat

The Reuters report came a day after the Danish defence ministry said that its soldiers have been asked to shoot first and ask questions later if the United States invades Greenland. This is in accordance with the army's rule of engagement from 1952 that requires soldiers to attack invaders without waiting for orders from higher-ups.

The ministry clarified that the rule "remains in force" when Berlingske, a Danish newspaper, asked about the status of the directive.

The remark comes as Trump has renewed his push to take over Greenland. He has said that "military force" is one of the options that the US is considering in order to achieve his goal of acquiring the Arctic island.

"Enough is enough ... No more fantasies about annexation," Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote in a Facebook post after Trump again told reporters the US needed to acquire the island. 

Trump's Obsession With Greenland

Trump has long argued that the US needs to acquire Greenland on several grounds, including that it is rich in minerals needed for advanced military applications. He has also said the Western Hemisphere broadly needs to be under the geopolitical influence of Washington.

"We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark isn't going to be able to do it," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. "It's so strategic."

While internal deliberations regarding how to seize Greenland have occurred among Trump's aides since before he took office a year ago, there has been renewed urgency after his government captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a daring snatch-and-grab operation over the weekend, Reuters reported, citing sources.

One source said White House aides were eager to carry over the momentum from the Maduro operation toward accomplishing Trump's other long-standing geopolitical goals.

Another source familiar with White House deliberations said the internal discussions regarding lump sum payments were not necessarily new. However, they said that discussions had gotten more serious in recent days, and aides were entertaining higher values, with a $100,000-per-person payment, which would result in a total payment of almost $6 billion (Rs 5,300 Crore) – a real possibility.

Many details of any potential payments were unclear, such as when and how they would be doled out if the Trump administration pursued that route or what exactly would be expected of the Greenlanders in exchange. 

Despite Danish warnings, the White House has said military intervention is possible, though officials have also said the US prefers buying the island or otherwise acquiring it through diplomatic means.

Free Association Agreement Option

Among the other possibilities being floated by Trump's aides, a White House official said that Team Trump is trying to enter into a type of agreement with the island called a Compact of Free Association (COFA).

The precise details of COFA agreements – which have only ever been extended to the small island nations of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau – vary depending on the signatory. But the US government typically provides many essential services, such as mail delivery and military protection. In exchange, the US military operates freely in COFA countries, and trade with America is largely duty-free.

COFA agreements have previously been inked with independent countries, and Greenland would likely need to separate from Denmark for such a plan to proceed. In theory, payments could be used to induce Greenlanders to vote for their independence or to sign onto a COFA after such a vote. 

While polls show an overwhelming majority of Greenlanders want independence, concerns about the economic costs of separating from Denmark – among other issues – have kept most Greenlandic legislators from calling for an independence referendum. 

Surveys also show that most Greenlanders, while open to separating from Denmark, do not want to be part of the US.