US Considers Paying Greenlanders $100K to Leave Denmark, Join US - Geopolitical Gambit or Strategic Masterstroke?

Washington eyes a radical population play—offering Greenlanders six-figure incentives to swap Copenhagen for American citizenship. The move redefines territorial ambition in the 21st century.

The $100K Proposition

Forget subtle diplomacy. The US is reportedly floating direct cash payments to individuals—$100,000 per adult—to catalyze a demographic shift. It's a blunt instrument for a strategic end: cementing influence in the Arctic, where melting ice unlocks new shipping routes and resource wealth.

Bypassing Traditional Diplomacy

The plan cuts out government-to-government negotiations, targeting citizens directly. It reframes sovereignty not just as control of land, but of the people on it. Greenland's vast mineral reserves and geopolitical position become the real assets on the balance sheet.

A New Model of Expansion?

This isn't about colonial conquest—it's a voluntary, incentivized migration. It tests whether national allegiance in the modern era can be bought, or at least heavily subsidized. The calculus is cold: the long-term value of securing the Arctic dwarfs the upfront per-capita cost.

Finance's Cynical Take

Wall Street would call it a hostile takeover via shareholder—sorry, citizen—acquisition. A classic case of spending cash to secure future cash flows, with the added bonus of sticking it to a strategic competitor. Sometimes the oldest plays—buying what you want—are the most effective, even if the currency is citizenship.

The offer sits on the table: a six-figure check for a new national identity. It's a bet that in today's world, loyalty, like everything else, has a price tag.

Denmark is home to a population of approximately 57,000. Therefore, the pay plan to convince the Greenlanders to leave for the US is an ambitious one. Furthermore, authorities in Copenhagen and Nuuk have insisted that Greenland is not for sale. However, Trump has spoken several times in the past.

Trump and the USA Want Denmark, One Way or Another

Donald Trump has long argued that the U.S. needs to acquire Greenland on several grounds, including that it is rich in minerals needed for advanced military applications. He has also said the Western Hemisphere broadly needs to be under the geopolitical influence of Washington. Therefore, instead of controlling the country, he hopes to purge it of its citizens.

The tactic is among various plans being discussed by the White House for acquiring Greenland, including the potential use of the U.S. military. However, it risks coming off as overly transactional and even degrading to a population that has long debated its own independence and its economic dependence on Denmark. “Enough is enough … No more fantasies about annexation,” Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday after U.S. President Donald Trump again told reporters the U.S. needed to acquire the island.

Other European powers have also spoken out against the US plan to seize Denmark and secede its people to the United States. On Tuesday, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain, and Denmark issued a joint statement, saying only Greenland and Denmark can decide matters regarding their relations.