Since taking over the White House last January, President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he “very much” wants to annex Greenland, and a variety of options are being considered, including a military strike.
Amid opposition from Greenlandic lawmakers, President Trump doubled down on Friday, threatening that the U.S. is “going to do something[on the ground]whether you like it or not.”
“If we don’t do this, Russia or China will take over Greenland. And we’re not going to have Russia or China as our neighbors,” Trump said at a White House meeting with oil and gas executives.
He added: “I want to get a deal the easy way. But if we don’t get a deal the easy way, we’re going to get a deal the hard way.”
President Trump and his officials have stepped up countermeasures against Greenland’s capital Nuuk since Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was abducted in a military operation from Caracas last week.
So how will US President Trump take control of Greenland, a territory of Denmark?
Is President Trump considering handouts for Greenlanders?
Benefits to Greenland’s population of just over 56,000 people are reportedly an option being considered by White House officials.
Located mostly in the Arctic Circle, Greenland is the world’s largest island, with 80% of its land covered by glaciers. The capital, Nuuk, is the most populous region, with about a third of the population living there.
Reuters reports that President Trump’s officials are considering sending money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per person to Greenlanders in an effort to persuade them to potentially leave Denmark and join Washington.
Greenland is officially part of Denmark and has its own elected government that controls most internal affairs, including control of natural resources and governance. Copenhagen is still in charge of foreign policy, defense, and Greenland’s finances.
Since 2009, however, Greenland has had the right to secede if its citizens vote for independence in a referendum. In theory, the payments to Greenlanders could be an attempt to influence their votes.
President Trump shared his ambition to annex Greenland during his first term, calling it “essentially a massive real estate deal.”
If the U.S. government were to pay each Greenlander $100,000, the total cost of this effort would be approximately $5.6 billion.
Can the US “buy” Greenland?
Earlier this week, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that Trump administration officials were “actively” discussing a possible offer to buy Danish territory.
In a briefing with members of the House and Senate on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Trump would prefer to buy Greenland rather than invade it. Rubio is scheduled to meet with Danish leaders next week.
The Nuuk and Copenhagen governments have repeatedly insisted that the island is “not for sale.”
There is little modern historical precedent to compare President Trump’s threat to Greenland, such as the abduction of President Maduro on President Trump’s orders.
The United States purchased Louisiana from France for $15 million in 1803 and Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867. But unlike today’s Denmark and Greenland, both France and Russia were active sellers.
Washington has purchased territory from Denmark in the past. In 1917, under President Woodrow Wilson, the United States purchased the Danish West Indies for $25 million during World War I, later renaming them the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Can Trump really do what he does?
Greenlanders are willing to leave Denmark, but the people have repeatedly refused to become part of the United States. Nearly 85 percent of the population rejects the idea, according to a 2025 poll commissioned by Danish newspaper Berlingske.
Meanwhile, another poll by YouGov found that only 7% of Americans support the idea of a military invasion of American territory.
Jeffrey Sachs, an American economist and professor at Columbia University, told Al Jazeera: “The White House wants to buy out the people of Greenland, and it is not going to pay much more than the value of Greenland that the United States would pay.”
“President Trump thinks he can buy Greenland cheaply, not its value to Denmark or Europe.” “This attempt to negotiate directly with the Greenlanders is an insult and a threat to Danish and European sovereignty.”
Denmark and the European Union “must make it clear that President Trump must stop abusing Europe’s sovereignty,” Sachs said. “Greenland should not be sold to the United States, nor should it be occupied.”
Sachs added that the EU needs to appreciate the “enormous value[of Greenland]as an Arctic geostrategic region full of resources essential for Europe’s military security.” He added: “It is certainly not a toy of the United States and its new emperor.”
Denmark and the United States joined the 12 founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 for the purpose of collective security against Soviet expansion.
“Europe should tell the American imperialists to get out,” Sachs said. “Europe (today) is much more likely to be invaded from the west (the United States) than from the east,” the economist told Al Jazeera.
Would the US have tried to buy Greenland sooner?
Yes, multiple times.
The first such proposal surfaced in 1867 under Secretary of State William Seward during discussions to successfully purchase Alaska. By 1868, he was reportedly prepared to offer $5.5 million in gold to acquire both Greenland and Iceland.
In 1910, a three-way land swap was discussed in which the United States would acquire Greenland in exchange for part of the Philippines held by the United States to Denmark, and a proposal was made to return North Schleswig from Germany to Denmark.
A more formal attempt was made in 1946, just after World War II. Recognizing Greenland’s important role in monitoring Soviet movements, President Harry Truman’s administration offered Denmark $100 million for Greenland.
But Denmark flatly rejected this idea.
Could the US attack Greenland?
Political analysts say a U.S. attack to annex Greenland would be a direct violation of the NATO treaty, but the White House has said using military force to acquire Greenland is also an option.
NATO ally Denmark also said such an attack would bring an end to the military alliance.
“We need Greenland from a national security standpoint, and Denmark can’t have it,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. “It’s very strategic.”
Greenland is one of the world’s least populated and geographically vast regions.
However, due to a 1951 agreement with Denmark, the U.S. military already has a significant presence on the island.
U.S. forces are stationed at Pitufik Space Base (formerly known as Thule Air Base) in Greenland’s northwestern corner, and a 1951 agreement allows Washington to establish additional “defense areas” on the island.
Thule base supports missile warning, missile defense, space surveillance missions, and satellite command and control.
The base is home to nearly 650 personnel, including members of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, along with private contractors from Canada, Denmark, and Greenland. Under the 1951 agreement, Danish laws and taxes do not apply to American personnel on base.
Denmark also has a military presence in Greenland, headquartered in Nuuk, whose main mission is surveillance and search-and-rescue operations, as well as “the assertion of sovereignty and military defense of Greenland and the Faroe Islands,” according to the Danish Ministry of Defense.
However, the American military presence in Thule is significantly stronger than the Danish military presence on the island. Many analysts believe that if the United States were to use these forces to seize Greenland, it could do so without significant military resistance or bloodshed.
“Greenland is covered in Russian and Chinese ships everywhere,” President Trump told reporters on Sunday. Both world powers have a presence in the Arctic. However, there is no sign of their ships near Greenland.
Is there another option for the United States?
As Trump administration officials consider plans to annex Greenland, the White House is reportedly discussing a type of agreement that would define a unique structure of shared sovereignty.
Reuters reported that the officials discussed the conclusion of the Compact of Free Association, an international agreement between the United States and three independent and sovereign Pacific island nations: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
This political arrangement grants the United States defense and security responsibilities in exchange for economic aid. The exact details of the COFA agreement vary depending on the signatories.
In theory, the COFA agreement would require Greenland to separate from Denmark.
Asked why the Trump administration previously said it had not ruled out using military force to acquire Greenland, Levitt said all options were always on the table, but Trump’s “first choice was always diplomacy.”
Why does President Trump want Greenland so strongly?
President Trump has cited national security as a motive for wanting to occupy Greenland.
For the United States, Greenland provides the shortest route from North America to Europe. The United States has shown interest in expanding its military presence in Greenland by installing radar in the waters connecting Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. These waters are a gateway for Russian and Chinese ships, and the U.S. government is keen to track them down.
However, Greenland is rich in minerals containing rare earths. A 2023 study found that 25 of the 34 minerals deemed “critical raw materials” by the European Commission were found in Greenland. Scientists believe the island may have significant oil and gas reserves.
However, there is no oil and gas extraction in Greenland, and its mining sector is opposed by indigenous peoples. Currently, the island’s economy relies primarily on fishing.
