2026 US-Denmark Tensions/End of NATO

[brihard]

Exactly. Unless it has 6 zeros after a number I think that most would not be keen on that price.

The issue is a lot of MAGA would be unhappy making everyone there a millionaire.

Plus the immediate inflationary effect in the local economy would be a mess.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Plus the immediate inflationary effect in the local economy would be a mess.

Didn't stop us from giving large lump-sum payouts to various Indigenous groups. The Americans are just stealing our best ideas at this point!

They could give everyone of the 57,000 residents a one-time payment of $500,000 and that would work it self out to 28.5 billion. That's an expense line on the $7 trillion dollar Federal budget.

 

[Altair]

Didn't stop us from giving large lump-sum payouts to various Indigenous groups. The Americans are just stealing our best ideas at this point!

They could give everyone of the 57,000 residents a one-time payment of $500,000 and that would work it self out to 28.5 billion. That's an expense line on the $7 trillion dollar Federal budget.

Imagine the outrage if America offered every Quebecer, or every Scot, or every Basque 500k US to vote for seperation.

Yet an ad featuring Reagan was going too far

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Imagine the outrage if America offered every Quebecer, or every Scot, or every Basque 500k US to vote for seperation.

Yet an ad featuring Reagan was going too far

I have often heard it said, regarding our own Arctic Sovereignty, that if any foreign entity actually wanted it for themselves, taking it would be as simple as flying in with a briefcase full of cash and handing it to the locals in exchange for fealty.

 

[Czech_pivo]

I'm not laughing. That is being discussed concurrent with a COFA agreement. It is a sweetener along with "independence", a security guarantee, access to the US.... in fact largely what Canada has, or used to have.

50,000 people at 10,000 apiece = 500,000,000
Even at 100,000 we are only looking at 5,000,000,000.
How much do we reckon the Maduro raid cost? Or the recent naval blockade?

Just for some points of reference:

1) Healthcare: Denmark covers costs for Greenlandic patients needing specialized treatment in Danish hospitals. Universal Healthcare coverage
2) Danish Commonwealth Welfare: Greenlanders benefit from the broader Danish Commonwealth system, including access to Danish social assistance, housing allowances, and pensions.
3) Education: Greenlandic students get grants and support to study in Denmark, reducing dropout rates and fostering skills.
3A) For Greenlanders studying in Denmark, higher education is generally free, as Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, granting citizens the same rights as Danes, including tuition fee exemption at public universities, but you must cover living expenses (around 5,000 DKK/month) and potentially some program-specific fees. Some exchange programs or specific non-EU/EEA agreements may have different costs, but generally, if you hold a Danish/Greenlandic residence permit, it's free
4) Danish citizenship (which they all have) offers access to the broader Nordic welfare system (social security, education grants) and opportunities for Greenlanders to study and work in Denmark and the rest of the EU.

So, let's say each Greenlander got 10,000 USD, tax free, regardless of their age. Looking at the above things, how soon would that 10,000 be eaten up by the newly additional costs of each person in Greenland having to purchase/pay for their individual health care? What about higher education costs? How far would that 10,000$ go towards a 4yr public (not a private university) university, meaning a Greenlander is treated the same in say that state of Connecticut to attend the University of Connecticut which is 'subsidized' for residents of Connecticut vs someone from say New Jersey attending - answer, 1 semester, that's it.

The payment of 10,000 USD is bloody peanuts to the average Greenlander in terms of what their new expenses would be. Please don't tell me that Greenlanders would be able to continue with their Universal Health Care coverage and free higher education because the people of Puerto Rico or Samoa don't.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Just for some points of reference:

1) Healthcare: Denmark covers costs for Greenlandic patients needing specialized treatment in Danish hospitals. Universal Healthcare coverage
2) Danish Commonwealth Welfare: Greenlanders benefit from the broader Danish Commonwealth system, including access to Danish social assistance, housing allowances, and pensions.
3) Education: Greenlandic students get grants and support to study in Denmark, reducing dropout rates and fostering skills.
3A) For Greenlanders studying in Denmark, higher education is generally free, as Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, granting citizens the same rights as Danes, including tuition fee exemption at public universities, but you must cover living expenses (around 5,000 DKK/month) and potentially some program-specific fees. Some exchange programs or specific non-EU/EEA agreements may have different costs, but generally, if you hold a Danish/Greenlandic residence permit, it's free
4) Danish citizenship (which they all have) offers access to the broader Nordic welfare system (social security, education grants) and opportunities for Greenlanders to study and work in Denmark and the rest of the EU.

So, let's say each Greenlander got 10,000 USD, tax free, regardless of their age. Looking at the above things, how soon would that 10,000 be eaten up by the newly additional costs of each person in Greenland having to purchase/pay for their individual health care? What about higher education costs? How far would that 10,000$ go towards a 4yr public (not a private university) university, meaning a Greenlander is treated the same in say that state of Connecticut to attend the University of Connecticut which is 'subsidized' for residents of Connecticut vs someone from say New Jersey attending - answer, 1 semester, that's it.

The payment of 10,000 USD is bloody peanuts to the average Greenlander in terms of what their new expenses would be. Please don't tell me that Greenlanders would be able to continue with their Universal Health Care coverage and free higher education because the people of Puerto Rico or Samoa don't.

That all sounds nice but....

 

[Czech_pivo]

That all sounds nice but....

Explaining this to the average American - why someone living in Greenland today under the Danish Flag is much better vs living under the US flag would be incomprehensible to them. They are unable to fathom/understand this.

 

[Altair]

Explaining this to the average American - why someone living in Greenland today under the Danish Flag is much better vs living under the US flag would be incomprehensible to them. They are unable to fathom/understand this.

Yeah...why would a greenlander wanting indepence go from a relatively benevolence overlord in Denmark to one who would run roughshod over them at a moments notice in the USA. All of that for a pittance.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Explaining this to the average American - why someone living in Greenland today under the Danish Flag is much better vs living under the US flag would be incomprehensible to them. They are unable to fathom/understand this.

It's because of this phenomena:

 

[HavokFour]

Another in the "no" column.

Representing more than 10,000 members, 40% of the Greenlandic workforce.

‘We are not for sale’: chair of Greenland’s top labor union rebukes Trump’s call for annexation

Exclusive: SIK leader Jess Berthelsen rejects Trump claim that the US needs Greenland for ‘national security’

www.theguardian.com

 

[Czech_pivo]

Greenland: Vance warns Europe to take Trump 'seriously' – DW – 01/09/2026

Europe should take Donald Trump "seriously" on the issue of Greenland, warned US Vice President JD Vance, as Trump's advisers met with envoys from Denmark and Greenland.

www.dw.com

Greenland: Vance warns Europe to take Trump 'seriously'​

Vance especially urged Europe to respond to Trump's insistence that the United States needs the island for "missile defense."

"So what we're asking our European friends to do is to take the security of that land mass more seriously, because if they're not, the United States is going to have to do something about it," he said.

I'm wondering if this is a ploy by Trump to get the Danes (or even the EU/NATO) to pony up and pay for the Golden Dome. I also believe that we won't have much choice in not participating and paying into the Golden Dome.

 

[RangerRay]

I suppose that first you would have to define "who is a Greenlander". As the 56,000 citizens (permanent legal residents?) of Greenland are not exclusively Inuit (85-90%), how would the USA judge those deserving of their largesse? Would place of birth in Greenland be required? Would a Greenlander have to be physically present on the ice covered slab of rock? Would the 18,000 to 20,000 Greenlandics who live in Denmark have a say, or the few thousand who attend school there?

And what would their citizenship status be after assimilation? If the example of other American territories (Puerto Rico, those in the Pacific) were followed, would Greenlanders have to wait from 20 to 50 years before being granted citizenship, and that would be based on them being wanted for military conscription, or having to sign an oath of allegiance, or being physically present in their territory of birth, or not having or being able to have any other citizenship, or allowing their territory to be used for nuclear weapons testing?

What would be the benefit of that magical citizenship? Having the President of that country throw rolls of paper towel to you when your home has been washed away?

Would Greenlanders prefer going from having two voting members of a 179 seat Folketing to one non-voting observer in a 435 seat Congress?

 

[RangerRay]

Greenland: Vance warns Europe to take Trump 'seriously' – DW – 01/09/2026

Europe should take Donald Trump "seriously" on the issue of Greenland, warned US Vice President JD Vance, as Trump's advisers met with envoys from Denmark and Greenland.

www.dw.com

Greenland: Vance warns Europe to take Trump 'seriously'​

Vance especially urged Europe to respond to Trump's insistence that the United States needs the island for "missile defense."

"So what we're asking our European friends to do is to take the security of that land mass more seriously, because if they're not, the United States is going to have to do something about it," he said.

I'm wondering if this is a ploy by Trump to get the Danes (or even the EU/NATO) to pony up and pay for the Golden Dome. I also believe that we won't have much choice in not participating and paying into the Golden Dome.

Jesus Christ, all they have to do is ask the Danes nicely and they’ll probably let the Yanks put missile defence all over the bloody island!

Idjits! Every single one of them!

 

[QV]

Didn't stop us from giving large lump-sum payouts to various Indigenous groups. The Americans are just stealing our best ideas at this point!

They could give everyone of the 57,000 residents a one-time payment of $500,000 and that would work it self out to 28.5 billion. That's an expense line on the $7 trillion dollar Federal budget.

That's what I find so hilariously ironic about this. The outrage that America might suggest doing something that Canadians practically already do.

 

[Czech_pivo]

That's what I find so hilariously ironic about this. The outrage that America might suggest doing something that Canadians practically already do.

Except that we are not asking the Indigenous groups to change one set of overlords for another.

Please don't forget that the Americans are providing large buckets of money to their own Indigenous groups.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Would Greenlanders prefer going from having two voting members of a 179 seat Folketing to one non-voting observer in a 435 seat Congress?

I suspect that even the 50 Greenlanders who list the United States as their place of birth (as counted In their census stats) would find that a poor bargain.

BTW - 20 list Canada as place of birth.

 

[QV]

Except that we are not asking the Indigenous groups to change one set of overlords for another.

Please don't forget that the Americans are providing large buckets of money to their own Indigenous groups.

Those ongoing payments are to grease the continued acceptance new overlords were installed on them. Not so different really.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Imagine the outrage if America offered every Quebecer, or every Scot, or every Basque 500k US to vote for seperation.

Not necessary. Trump doesn't want those, and in the meantime there are probably people in the US willing to sell them arms. More exports.

 

[Brad Sallows]

I'm wondering if this is a ploy by Trump to get the Danes (or even the EU/NATO) to pony up and pay for the Golden Dome. I also believe that we won't have much choice in not participating and paying into the Golden Dome.

Partly it's because Greenland is right under the flight path of a lot of what Russia would fling at the US in the event of nuclear war. I have no idea whether there's some belief that their existing facilities in Greenland aren't good enough. There are also claims that they have "concerns" about control of the adjacent waters. Golden Dome probably has nothing to do with it.

 

[Kirkhill]

Greenland: Vance warns Europe to take Trump 'seriously' – DW – 01/09/2026

Europe should take Donald Trump "seriously" on the issue of Greenland, warned US Vice President JD Vance, as Trump's advisers met with envoys from Denmark and Greenland.

www.dw.com

Greenland: Vance warns Europe to take Trump 'seriously'​

Vance especially urged Europe to respond to Trump's insistence that the United States needs the island for "missile defense."

"So what we're asking our European friends to do is to take the security of that land mass more seriously, because if they're not, the United States is going to have to do something about it," he said.

I'm wondering if this is a ploy by Trump to get the Danes (or even the EU/NATO) to pony up and pay for the Golden Dome. I also believe that we won't have much choice in not participating and paying into the Golden Dome.

And that is explicitly what I have been saying.

The issue is security and the cost of security.

Americans, not just Trump, want to feel safe. They are willing to pay for their safety. If they are to rely on allies then they want the allies to be reliable and do their bit.