Name Your Price”: Trump’s Mega-Check for Greenland Leaves Denmark Scrambling
This time, Trump is approaching with genuine seriousness. He's offering $500 billion to $700 billion to buy Greenland outright. Most people might not grasp how massive that figure is. Denmark's annual GDP is only around $400 billion or so. Trump's proposed check essentially equals 1.5 years of Denmark's entire national economic output.
On top of that, even though Greenland is vast and resource-rich, it currently requires Denmark to subsidize its budget shortfall by roughly $600–700 million every year.
I can almost picture Trump, the former real estate developer, telling the Danish "landlord": "You're stuck holding this property—it's a money pit that costs you cash annually.
Why not sell it to me? I'll hand you an offer you can't refuse in straight cash. We both come out ahead. "Previously, Denmark's foreign minister reacted with fury, accusing Trump of wanting to "conquer" Greenland.
But after their recent White House meeting with Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio, the Danish tone shifted noticeably.
Why the change? It seems Trump is employing a precise two-pronged strategy:On one side, he's sending envoys to bypass the Danish government entirely and negotiate big compensation packages directly with Greenland's local population and leaders.
On the other, he's simultaneously bringing Denmark to the negotiating table.
Denmark is in a really awkward spot. While it remains Greenland's sovereign power on paper, the relationship is no longer a classic colonial one.
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, granted very high self-governance.
Denmark even agreed long ago that Greenlanders can hold a referendum and declare independence at any time.If Greenlanders accept substantial U.S. money and vote to go independent, Denmark could end up getting nothing from the whole deal. That's why Denmark is now rushing to engage seriously in Washington—desperate to secure a share of the proceeds before any transaction is finalized
I really wish Trump could buy over Singapore too—Singapore would then hold its first-ever referendum to become the 51st state after Hawaii joined back in 1959.
Modify on 2026-01-18 15:09
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