Trump admin is willing to pay $700 billion to buy Greenland — but there's a major problem
The United States could end up paying $700 billion to acquire Greenland, as President Donald Trump has set his eyes on the territory. The estimate was generated by scholars and former U.S. officials as a part of Trump's plan to buy the 800,000-square-mile island as a strategic buffer in the Arctic against America’s top adversaries, Russia and China. However, while the administration may be willing to spend the hefty amount, only 1 in 5 Americans is in support of the move, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Greenland is being viewed as a strategic piece of territory with global warming uncovering new shipping routes in the Arctic, which are challenged by Russia and mineral deposits on the island. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly been tasked with developing a proposal to purchase Greenland, and his proposal will be tabled before the president in the coming weeks, according to NBC News. Rubio and Vice President JD Vance are scheduled to meet with the officials from Denmark and Greenland on Wednesday. While the publication reported that the estimated cost of buying the Danish Kingdom territory could be $700 billion, Reuters, citing sources with knowledge on the matter, previously reported that the administration was looking into paying the 57,000 Greenlanders a sum between $10,000 and $100,000 each to convince them to secede from Denmark and join the U.S.
The tactic is among various plans - including the potential use of the U.S. military - that are being considered by the U.S. However, the publication's joint poll with Ipsos found that nearly 47% Americans don't approve of the U.S. efforts to gain control of the mineral-rich territory, and only 17% were sure that it was a good move. About 71% of Americans, including nine in ten Democrats and six in 10 Republicans, said using military force to take control of Greenland was a "bad idea". Another 66% expressed concerns over the U.S. damaging the NATO alliance and relations with Europe, due to the move.
In response to the findings of the poll, the deputy White House press secretary said that the president is “always generating creative ideas to bolster national security” and reiterated Trump’s claim that Greenland faces threats from Russia and China, The Independent reported. “Many of this President’s predecessors recognized the strategic logic of acquiring Greenland, but only President Trump has had the courage to pursue this idea seriously,” Kelly said in a statement to the publication. She claimed that the president believes NATO will become "far more formidable" with Greenland under U.S. control.
On the other hand, authorities in Copenhagen and Nuuk have insisted that Greenland is not up for sale. "Enough is enough. No more fantasies about annexation," Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday, after President Trump announced that the U.S. absolutely needed to acquire the island. Similar words were shared by Jess Berthelsen, chair of Greenland's national trade union, to The Guardian. “We are not for sale, and we will not be annexed,” Berthelsen told the publication.
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