Trump Official Hints At Movement In Administration’s Bid To Acquire Greenland: ‘Weeks Or Months’

President Donald Trump’s push to annex Greenland is not going away, and the White House believes meaningful U.S. action tied to the massive Arctic island could come within “weeks or months,” according to a senior administration official.

That view comes from Thomas Dans, Trump’s Arctic commissioner and a key architect of the president’s renewed interest in Greenland. The idea was first pitched to Trump by billionaire businessman and former diplomat Ronald Lauder, and Dans has been working the issue since 2020.

“This is a train route with multiple stops,” Dans said in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY. “Things could move on an express basis, skip the local stops and go direct to the main station. That’s where President Trump wants to move it − at high speed.”

Dans cautioned that while negotiations or visible progress could come sooner rather than later, any final acquisition would likely take longer to complete.

“We need to get the people of Greenland on board,” he said, pointing to polls showing most of Greenland’s roughly 57,000 residents want eventual independence from Denmark but overwhelmingly oppose becoming the 51st U.S. state. Both Denmark and Greenland have said the island is not for sale.

Donald Trump Jr. meets with a group of pro-Trump Greenland residents in Nuuk

Dans said “things can happen quickly from a transactional standpoint,” but added there will be “a process to gain trust and support of the Greenlandic people and this will require time and effort from the U.S. side.”

His comments come as Vice President JD Vance prepares to host senior Danish and Greenlandic officials at the White House on Jan. 14, a U.S. official confirmed to USA TODAY.

The meeting was requested by Denmark amid Trump’s repeated insistence that the United States must “have” Greenland and was originally expected to be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Vance’s involvement is seen by some officials as a sign that momentum could be building.

Trump has made clear his preferred path is to buy the minerals-rich island outright or secure control through other diplomatic means, based on his public remarks, White House statements, and accounts from people familiar with the discussions.

The president has argued the U.S. needs Greenland, which is part of the Danish kingdom, to prevent Russia or China from moving in. While Trump has not ruled out military force, Dans said that scenario remains unlikely.

He said only “those who live in a state of ignorance” should fear a U.S. invasion, noting that American forces already dominate the island’s security. “You can’t invade when you’re already there.”

Beyond a direct purchase, administration officials have floated the idea of offering Greenlanders lump-sum payments ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per person. The aim would be to accelerate independence from Denmark.

Under that framework, an independent Greenland could then enter a Compact of Free Association with the United States, with Washington providing exclusive security guarantees in exchange for the payments.

Another option discussed would involve leasing Greenland from Denmark for a long-term period after independence, similar to Britain’s former 99-year lease of Hong Kong from China. Trump has recently dismissed that idea, saying, “countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership, you don’t defend leases. And we’ll have to defend Greenland.”

Download the FREE Trending Politics App to get the latest news FIRST >>