White House develops plan to bring Greenland under US control - NYT

According to the American newspaper, Washington will attempt to gain control over the Arctic island through a persuasion campaign rather than annexation.

As the NYT writes, the plan mobilizes several US cabinet ministries that have supported years of discussions by Trump about the desire to purchase Greenland from Denmark, whose economic and strategic value has increased as Arctic ice melts due to rising temperatures.

Despite Denmark's government emphasizing that the island is not for sale and cannot be annexed, Trump has repeatedly made it clear that he intends to control Greenland.

For example, last month, during his address to Congress, the US president stated that the Arctic island is necessary for national security and even international security, and we are working with everyone involved to try to acquire it. Trump also added, one way or another, we will get it.

According to an American official, the White House National Security Council has met several times to implement Trump's words and recently sent specific instructions to many government agencies.

Persuasion, not force

Although the full details of the plan are unclear, despite President Trump's hints about the possible use of force, discussions led by the National Security Council have never seriously considered military options, an official told the NYT.

Instead, the policy is focused on persuasion rather than coercion and includes public relations efforts aimed at convincing the population of Greenland (which has 57,000 people) that they should seek to join the United States.

Trump's advisors have discussed using advertising campaigns and social media efforts to influence public opinion on the island, according to a source informed about the issue.

It is worth noting that in last month’s elections in Greenland, the opposition political party advocating for swift independence and closer ties with the US came in second, garnering just a quarter of the votes.

Additionally, as part of the information campaign, Greenlanders will be more actively educated on the shared heritage with Alaska's Inuit.

Moreover, Trump's advisors have already begun to make their case, arguing that Denmark has been a poor steward of the island and that only the US can protect it from encroachments by Russia and China. They will also emphasize that America will help Greenlanders prosper.

NYT also reports that the Trump administration is considering offering the island’s population certain financial incentives, including the possibility of replacing the $600 million in subsidies that Denmark provides to Greenland with an annual payment of about $10,000 per Greenland resident.

Some of Trump's officials believe these expenses could be offset by new revenues from Greenland’s natural resources, which include rare earth minerals, copper, gold, uranium, and oil.

Trump's "attempt" on Greenland

After his victory in the US presidential elections, Donald Trump revived talks about buying Greenland. The American leader justifies this by stating that US control over the island is necessary for security.

In Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark, there is opposition to joining the US. Protests against Trump's policies have taken place on the island. Additionally, Denmark has rejected the possibility of selling the island.

Recently, US Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by his wife, visited Greenland. During the visit, he stated that the US would not increase its military presence in Greenland for now but remained focused on its security.

It was also reported that Denmark advised Vance to change his tone regarding Greenland and called for joint efforts to ensure security in the Arctic. Furthermore, Denmark's Minister of Foreign Affairs reminded that Greenland is also part of NATO.

At the end of March, Trump once again expressed confidence in Greenland's annexation, claiming that it was 100% going to happen.