Trump admin considering paying Greenland residents $10K to $100K: report
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The Trump administration is considering paying thousands of dollars to each Greenland resident as part of a bid to encourage the region to secede from Denmark and join the United States, according to Reuters.
US officials, including White House aides, discussed payment figures ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the report said, citing sources.
For an island with a population of about 57,000, the total cost could range from half a billion dollars to nearly $6 billion.
While discussions of lump sum payments are not new, Reuters reported that authorities have become more serious in recent days and are considering higher amounts.
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On March 8, 2025, the water in Greenland’s Ilulissat harbor was covered with ice. (Joe Raedle/Getty)
The White House told Fox News Digital on Thursday, citing comments by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said at Wednesday’s briefing that purchasing Greenland would benefit U.S. national security.
“The purchase of Greenland by the United States is not a new idea,” Leavitt said.
“The President has made it very clear and clear to you and to the world that he thinks it is in the best interest of the United States to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region,” he said. “So his team is currently talking about what a potential acquisition would look like.”
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on October 29, 2025. ((Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images))
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday he plans to meet with his Danish counterpart next week to discuss the Greenland issue.
Trump has long argued that the United States should acquire Greenland, arguing that Greenland’s mineral resources are vital to advancing US military technologies and that the Western Hemisphere should broadly come under Washington’s geopolitical influence.
On Sunday, Trump told reporters that Greenland was surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships and that Denmark, which administers Greenland, lacked the capacity to provide levels of defense and surveillance that meet U.S. national security standards.
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“It’s very strategic,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “We need Greenland for national security, and Denmark won’t be able to do that.”
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen speaks during a joint speech with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Marienborg. (Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/SOPA Images/LightRocket)
Officials in Greenland and Denmark insist that Greenland is not for sale, and European leaders have criticized the proposal, arguing that it undermines trust between the United States and Denmark as NATO allies. The idea of a sale is particularly sensitive because under the NATO defense agreement, allies are obliged to support each other militarily if attacked.
“That’s enough,” Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post on Sunday, responding to Trump’s comments on Sunday about buying the island. “No more pressure. No more clues. No more fantasies of annexation.”
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On Tuesday, Nielsen added that Greenland would remain part of Denmark despite U.S. efforts.
“Our country is not something you can deny or take over because you want to,” he added. “I once again call on the United States to engage in a respectful dialogue through the correct diplomatic and political channels and using pre-existing forums based on agreements already in force with the United States. The dialogue must take place taking into account the fact that Greenland’s status is based on international law and the principle of territorial integrity.”
