Trump Administration Considers Financial Incentives for Greenland Residents
Sources disclosed on Thursday, January 8, 2026, that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is contemplating an unprecedented strategy aimed at persuading the residents of Greenland to detach from Denmark and potentially become part of the United States. This would involve offering direct financial payments to each individual living on the island.
Anonymous sources indicate that U.S. officials are discussing payment amounts that could range from $10,000 to $100,000per person, although the specifics regarding the amounts and how the payments would be distributed remain unresolved.
This proposal is viewed by analysts as a practical approach to navigate the political challenges that hindered previous U.S. attempts to acquire Greenland, which has a population of approximately 57,000. Both Copenhagen and Greenland's authorities have firmly stated that the island is not for sale.
The U.S. initiative has elicited strong reactions from European leaders. Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, remarked that the EU is considering its response should the U.S. move to acquire Greenland be taken seriously.
She noted, during a press conference in Cairo alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atti, that “the messages we are receiving regarding Greenland are extremely concerning.”
President Donald Trump has reiterated the United States' interest in Greenland, citing national security and the island's strategic significance in the Arctic, an area of growing military and economic importance amid intensifying global competition.
While Greenland enjoys a degree of autonomy, it remains a territory of Denmark, a member of both NATO and the European Union. In this context, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen previously cautioned that any aggressive U.S. actions toward Greenland could jeopardize NATO and the global security framework established post-World War II.
As discussions of financial offers and sovereignty continue, Greenland finds itself at the center of an escalating geopolitical contest, entitled:
Who controls the keys to the Arctic?
