U.S. authorities have considered making a one-time payment to the residents of Greenland to persuade them to separate from Denmark and join the United States, Reuters reports citing four sources.
The discussed amount of payments ranges from $10,000 to $100,000 (€8,565 to €85,650) for each resident of Greenland, two sources who wished to remain anonymous reported.
The idea of direct payments to the population of Greenland is one explanation of how the U.S. might attempt to 'buy' the island with a population of about 57,000, despite statements from the authorities of Denmark and Greenland that Greenland is not for sale, Reuters notes.
This tactic is one of several plans being discussed in the White House aimed at acquiring Greenland, and American officials have not ruled out the possibility of using military force to establish control over the island. However, there is a risk that the proposal to pay residents for support could be perceived as humiliating, Reuters writes.
Trump has repeatedly stated that the U.S. should control Greenland for national security reasons.
Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark but has wide autonomy and is not a member of the European Union.
The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that Trump prefers to buy Greenland from Denmark.
Copenhagen warned that any attempt to forcibly seize Greenland would effectively mean the end of NATO.
Allies expressed support for Denmark and Greenland while trying not to anger the United States.
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