US officials are discussing a plan to withdraw Greenland to the field of influence of America using a kind of agreement that the United States used to maintain close relations with many countries of the Pacific Island, according to two American officials and another person familiar with the discussions.
Under the plan to be considered, the Trump administration suggests Greenland leaders to enter the island in the so -called free assembly, or COFA, with the United States.
While the exact details of the COFA agreements – which were only extended to the small island countries in Micronesia, the Marshall Palau Islands – depending on the signing, the United States government usually provides many basic services, from delivering mail to emergency management to military protection. On the other hand, the US military is working freely in COFA countries and trade with the United States is largely empty.
Donald Trump, during his first administration, put up the idea of ​​Greenland, has pressured more difficult since he took office in January, and refused to exclude the island by force. Denmark, which rules the island, sharply rejected the idea.
The COFA agreement has stopped Trump's ambition to make 57,000 people part of the United States. The sources said that it is not the only plan in Greenland on the table, and will face many practical obstacles.
Two of the sources said that some officials of the National Security Council and the National Council, the energy dominance, established by Trump, are participating in the talks. The National Economic Council also added, one of those sources.
COFA agreements have already been signed with independent countries, and Greenland may need to be separated from Denmark for such a plan to move forward. While opinion polls show that Greenlands are interested in independence, investigative studies also show that most of them do not want to be part of the United States. Cofa – which complains about great independence in Washington – can be seen with similar doubts.
One of the participants in the discussions is Marcus Tommy, Acting Director of the Acting Director of the Western Half of the National Security Council, according to two sources. David Copeli, the lead mining official in NEDC, said in the talks.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment, and the Danish embassy or the representative office of Greenland was not in Washington.
The Ministry of Interior, which plays a major role in managing COFA Agreements through its isolated affairs office, has also not responded.
The Marshall and Micronesia Islands are the current COFA agreements with Palau, throughout the American political spectrum, important to meet the increasing impact of China in the Asia Pacific region.
However, these agreements have struck obstacles in the past.
Republican lawmakers sometimes opposed the budget elements designated for financing COFA agreements, creating deep frustrations in money -based countries.
COFA's signature also does not provide any guarantee that the nation will be immune from the effects of American competitors.
A senior European official said that Danish leaders have not been contacted on the idea and had not conducted any fundamental discussions with the White House about the future situation of Greenland. Danish officials have publicly rejected the idea of ​​obtaining the United States, and insisting on Greenland to determine their future.
Administration officials argue that the island is decisive for the United States because of its deposits of minerals that have high -tech and military applications, but it is still not exploited due to lack of employment, rare infrastructure and various other challenges.
The administration official told Reuters that the United States is helping Greenland to diversify its economy and gain greater economic independence from Denmark. The official said that the Development Finance Company and the Export Bank-Import can play a role in this process.
The official said COFA “could be an elegant way to address some of the concerns that we have when it comes to Greenland's security” but did not comment on the possibility of such an agreement.
