Egypt Daily News – The New York Times reported that former U.S. President Donald Trump was planning to offer financial checks, $10,000 per person annually, to the residents of Greenland as part of an effort to persuade them to break away from Danish sovereignty and join the United States.
According to the report, Trump considered offering an annual check of $10,000 to each citizen of the island, as a replacement for the financial support Greenland currently receives from Denmark, which amounts to about $600 million annually.
Trump, who had previously expressed a clear desire to acquire Greenland, appeared determined to take concrete steps toward that goal.
A U.S. administration official told the newspaper that the National Security Council never discussed a military option, contradicting some of Trump’s earlier remarks. Instead, the focus, according to the source, was on winning over local public opinion, which remains skeptical about the idea of joining the U.S.
In addition to the financial incentives, Trump’s advisers were reportedly exploring plans for major media campaigns — both through traditional outlets and social media — to promote the American proposal to Greenland’s population of about 57,000.
These campaigns aimed to highlight a “shared cultural heritage” between Greenlanders and the Inuit people of Alaska, who live more than 4,000 kilometers away.
In a speech before Congress on March 4, Trump promised the people of Greenland both security and prosperity if they joined the United States, saying: “We will keep you safe, we will make you rich, and together we’ll take Greenland to heights you never imagined possible.”
Experts note that the U.S.’s ambitions — dressed in economic promises — are largely driven by the desire to exploit Greenland’s vast natural resources, which have become more accessible due to climate change. These include strategic minerals such as uranium and rare earth elements, as well as gold, copper, and potential oil reserves.
However, these moves sparked strong reactions in Copenhagen. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen condemned what she described as “pressure and threats” from the U.S. administration, emphasizing during a recent visit to Greenland that “annexing another country is unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, Greenland’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, issued a firm message to the U.S., stating that it would not obtain Greenland.
In a Facebook post, Nielsen wrote: “President Trump says the United States ‘will get Greenland.’ Let me be clear: the United States will not get it. We do not belong to anyone. We decide our own future.”
