The United States is considering a model of connection with Greenland as small island countries in the Pacific

US representatives are discussing a plan to attract Greenland in the field of influence of America, using a type of agreement that the United States used to maintain close ties with several Pacific island countries, according to two US representatives and another person familiar with discussions.

According to the plan under consideration, the Trump administration will offer Greenland leaders the island to conclude the so -called free association compact, or COFA, with the United States.

President Donald Trump, who, during his first administration, raised the idea of ​​gaining Greenland, insisted even more than his taking office in January. He refuses to exclude the seizure of the island by force. Denmark, who rules the island, firmly rejected the idea.

The COFA agreement would prevent Trump’s ambition from making the island with 57,000 people part of the United States. This is not the only plan for Greenland on the table, the sources said, and it will face many practical obstacles.

Reuters announced before Trump took office that some advisers had unofficially offered the idea. But before that, it was not revealed that White House officials had begun conversations about the logistics behind such a proposal.

Some employees of the National Security Council and the National Council for Energy Department, created by Trump, are involved in the negotiations, two of the sources have announced. The National Economic Council is also participating, one of these sources added.

COFA agreements have been previously signed with independent countries and Greenland will probably have to separate from Denmark in order to implement a similar plan. While polls show that Greenlands are interested in independence, studies also show that most do not want to be part of the United States. COFA – which gives way to a significant autonomy to Washington – can be viewed with similar skepticism.

One of the participants in the discussions is Marcus Tommy, the position of senior director of the Western Hemisphere of the National Security Council, according to two sources. David Coples, a key mining officer in NEDC, is also involved in the negotiations, one of these sources said.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment, nor the Danish Embassy or Greenland’s representation in Washington.

The Ministry of the Interior also did not respond, which plays a key role in administering the COFA agreements through its islander service.

Problems with existing COFA

Washington’s existing COFA agreements with Palau, Marshall Islands and Micronesia are viewed throughout the US political spectrum as important to counteract China’s increasing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

However, such agreements have faced difficulties.

Republican legislators have sometimes opposed budget elements allocated to fund Cofa, deeply disappointing the countries that rely on funds.

The signing of Cofa also does not guarantee that a country will be immunized against US rivals.

In April, Reuters announced that Chinese citizens have successfully built close ties with high -ranking political figures in Palau, which alarmed US officials.

Danish leaders have not sought contact with the idea of ​​COFA and have not made any significant discussions with the White House on the future status of Greenland, a senior European employee said. Danish representatives publicly rejected the idea of ​​gaining Greenland and insisting that the Greenlands should determine their future.

Representatives of the administration claim that the island is crucial to the United States because of its mineral deposits that have important high -tech and military applications, but remain unused due to labor shortages, scarce infrastructure and various other challenges.

An employee of the administration told Reuters that the United States is helping Greenland diversify its economy and gain greater economic independence than Denmark. Corporation for financing development and export-importing bank, both US agencies, could play a role in this process, the employee said.

He pointed to the Dobrez project, which will produce editorial elements of the island and will be processed in the United States as a particularly bright beam in relations with Greenland. New York-based Critical Metals Corp holds a 42% share in the project, although this share can be increased significantly as part of a complex deal that needs to be finalized later this year.

The official said Cofa « could be an elegant way to deal with some of the concerns we have in terms of Green’s security, but did not comment on the possibility of such an agreement.