(Adnkronos) – The White House is preparing an estimate of how much it would cost the US federal government to control the territory of Greenland, the most concrete effort to date to turn President Donald Trump’s desire to acquire the Danish island into an actionable political decision. The ‘Washington Post’ writes it, citing three people familiar with the matter.
While Trump’s requests sparked international outrage and rejection from Denmark, in recent weeks White House officials have set to work to determine the financial ramifications of a US territory Greenland, including the costs of providing government services for its 58,000 residents. At the White House budget office, employees have worked to determine the potential cost of maintaining the territory if acquired and to try to estimate what revenue for the US Treasury could come from the place’s natural resources.
Among the options under consideration is that of offering the Greenland government a more advantageous agreement than that offered by the Danes, who currently subsidize the island’s services for an amount of approximately 600 million dollars a year. “This is a much higher figure,” said an official familiar with the plans. Trump has said several times that the United States will “get” Greenland. “100%,” he reiterated to Nbc News on Saturday. Asked if force would be used, he replied that there is a “good chance of doing it without the use of military force”, but – he added – “I’m not taking anything off the table”.
“The President believes that Greenland is a strategically important place and is convinced that the Greenlanders would be better off if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region,” said Anna Kelly, deputy White House press secretary, in an e-mail. “President Trump is committed to establishing long-term peace at home and abroad.” Located at a nerve center between the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, Greenland is close to important routes for maritime transport and also for military movements, including submarines. Hence the interest. But the issue – according to sources cited by the ‘Washington Post’ – is not yet at the top of the national security priority list. First it will be necessary to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, ensure peace in Israel and Gaza and have discouraged Iran – all items on the agenda for this year. Then Greenland, a ‘bonus’.
Meanwhile, the cost analysis, carried out for Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, by staff of the International Affairs division of the office. The Trump administration hopes to convince the US public that the federal government would recoup costs in Greenland through mineral royalties and taxes paid on business activities. And of course he works to convince the Greenlanders: the White House is examining ways to “sweeten the pill” to make it more attractive for Greenland to be part of the United States.
But the potential economic return of Greenland’s mineral resources is unclear, while Trump’s interest in wresting control of the island from a NATO ally has sparked bewilderment and disbelief in Copenhagen, which has repeatedly shown openness to the idea that Washington is increasing its military and economic presence in Greenland without changing its territorial boundaries. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is planning a three-day visit to the island, starting today, at the invitation of the new Greenlandic government, also to demonstrate Denmark’s commitment to deepening ties with the territory.
