The Trump administration is considering a plan to offer direct cash payments to Greenlanders in an effort to persuade them to break away from Denmark and move closer to the United States, according to multiple sources cited by news agency Reuters.US officials have talked internally about offering lump sum payments of between $10,000 and $100,000 per person to residents of Greenland. The island nation is currently a semi-autonomous Danish territory with a population of about 57,000 and has an abundance of useful natural resources. The idea remains at a preliminary stage and details are still unclear. Aides have discussed figures that could amount to nearly $6 billion in total, sources said.

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The proposal aligns with a previous proposed idea of how the White House may “buy” Greenland, despite repeated refusals from both Copenhagen and Nuuk, which insist the island is not for sale. The payments are one of several options under consideration, alongside diplomatic agreements and even the potential use of military force. A brutal annexation wil be a nightmare for Nato countries as Greenland has several treaties signed with the US.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen responded after President Donald Trump raised the issue of acquiring the island.“Enough is enough ... No more fantasies about annexation,” Nielsen wrote in a Facebook post.European leaders have also reacted with alarm. Denmark and the United States are Nato allies, and recent statements from Washington have drawn pushback. On Tuesday, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain and Denmark issued a joint declaration stating that decisions about Greenland’s future rest solely with Greenland and Denmark and US interference would mean otherwise.The White House also weighed in on the "buying" aspect as press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said Trump and his national security team were “looking at what a potential purchase would look like”. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed he will meet his Danish counterpart next week in Washington to discuss Greenland and its future.Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is critical to US national security against rival forces like Russia and China.

“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark isn't going to be able to do it,” he told reporters on Air Force One.According to Reuters, the talks are more urgent now after a recent US operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife straight out of his home country. Democrats see these GOP tactics as Trump wanting to incite war and accuse the president of not taking full congressional approval. Another option being discussed is a Compact of Free Association, an agreement the US already has with some Pacific island nations. Under such deals, the US provides financial aid and defence protection in return for military access. Greenland would likely have to become independent from Denmark first, and payments could be used to encourage public support for that step or for a future agreement.Polls show most Greenlanders favour independence from Denmark, but surveys also indicate they do not want to become part of the United States.