Donald Trump is reportedly contemplating a bold proposal to offer each Greenlander a sum of $1 million, equivalent to approximately £750,000, in exchange for their support in joining the United States.
Following discussions with NATO’s chief, Mark Rutte, the U.S. President announced that he had reached an understanding on the “framework of a future deal” concerning the governance of Greenland, emphasizing its strategic importance for American national security.
President Trump has dismissed the possibility of using force to acquire the Arctic island, opting instead for a more diplomatic approach aimed at persuading Greenland’s residents to break away from Denmark.
The Daily Mail has learned that Trump is considering this lucrative offer to Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants, which could serve as a financial incentive to align with the U.S.
If the proposal goes forward, compensating each resident could amount to a staggering £42.5 billion ($564 million U.S.).
Though the idea may seem extravagant, the total expenditure is minor compared to the nearly £595 billion (around $800 billion) that the U.S. allocates annually to its defense budget.
It would also remove Greenland’s reliance on Denmark for grants and reshape the island’s economy.
The island would have to agree to hold a referendum and would likely need a decisive 60 per cent to vote in favour of joining America to receive the money.
Donald Trump is considering offering every Greenlander $1million – £750,000 – if they vote to join the United States
Copenhagen has repeatedly said the mineral-rich island is not for sale and that any deal would require Danish assent
Previously it was reported the White House was considering offering each Greenlander up to £75,000.
But Copenhagen has repeatedly said the mineral-rich island is not for sale and that any deal would require Danish assent.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenland’s PM, has also said: ‘Enough is enough. No more fantasies about annexation.’
When the lower figure was floated, Greenlanders pointed out Danish grants are worth more in the long run to them.
There are also concerns that they would move to an American-style economic system with minimal welfare support. The move may also be difficult to sell to Mr Trump’s voters.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte yesterday said he is working ‘behind the scenes’ with US officials to find a solution on the question of Greenland and was praised by Mr Trump as ‘excellent’.
Trump added that he was suspending plans to slap tariffs on Britain and other countries resisting his Greenland grab.
Markets in the US rallied on his announcement, having climbed on his earlier proclamation that he would not use force to take the ‘big, beautiful piece of ice’.
Vice President JD Vance visited the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland last year, as Trump made it clear early in his second term his intentions of pushing for the acquisition of the Arctic island
Nato military officers were discussing an arrangement where Denmark would cede ‘small pockets of Greenlandic’ territory to the US, where it could build military bases
Last night, Nato military officers were discussing an arrangement where Denmark would cede ‘small pockets of Greenlandic’ territory to the US, where it could build military bases.
Senior officials compared the proposal to UK military bases in Cyprus – which are treated as sovereign British territories – according to The New York Times.
Mr Trump told reporters it was ‘the ultimate long–term deal’. When asked how long, he replied: ‘Infinite. There is no time limit. It’s a deal that’s forever.’
He had earlier written on his Truth Social social media platform: ‘Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of Nato, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.
‘This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all Nato Nations.’
Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the US owning Greenland is a ‘red line’ that will not happen.
He said Copenhagen would keep ownership of Greenland, despite Mr Trump’s earlier demand for negotiations on an ‘acquisition’. ‘It’s not going to happen that the US will own Greenland. That’s a red line,’ Mr Rasmussen told national broadcaster DR.
Mr Trump’s apparent climbdown on the imposition of tariffs over the Greenland dispute will fuel critics who coined the term TACO, short for ‘Trump Always Chickens Out’.
Trump said he agreed ‘the framework of a future deal’ following talks with Nato chief Mark Rutte
A man holds a map of Greenland covered in the American flag crossed out with an X during a protest against Trump’s policy towards Greenland in front of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland
The row that has played out over the last fortnight has raised serious questions about the survival of Nato and yesterday plunged Britain’s ‘special relationship’ with the US into crisis. During a rambling address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Trump sought to often belittle his allies.
In a reference to America’s role in the Second World War, he told his mainly European audience: ‘Without us, you’d all be speaking German, with maybe a little Japanese.’
France, Canada and even neutral Switzerland, the host of the summit, came in for some tough shots.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested the issue could lead to Keir Starmer’s trade deal with the US being unpicked, saying the UK was ‘letting us down’ and warned it could cause ‘glitches’ in economic relations.
And Mr Trump savaged Labour’s Net Zero approach, saying the Government’s windfall tax on North Sea oil was driving ‘catastrophically high’ energy prices in the UK.
The President later said that ‘bad things’ would happen to Britain and Europe unless they clamped down on immigration and halted the drive for green energy. ‘They have to change their ways,’ he said.
Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator, welcomed the decision to take force off the table regarding Greenland. But he added that Mr Trump had made a ‘damn good argument’ as to why the US should have it, and urged Nato to find a way to help Trump ‘acquire title’.
