US considers special status for Greenland amid Trump push for control

10/5/2025 6:44

U.S. officials are discussing a plan to pull Greenland into America's sphere of influence using a type of agreement that the United States has used to keep close ties with several Pacific Island nations, according to two U.S. officials and another person familiar with the discussions.



Under the plan being considered, the Trump administration would propose to Greenland's leaders that the island enter into a so-called Compact of Free Association, or COFA, with the United States.



While the precise details of COFA agreements - which have only ever been extended to the small island nations of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau - vary depending on the signatory, the U.S. government typically provides many essential services, from mail delivery to emergency management to military protection. In exchange, the U.S. military operates freely in COFA countries and trade with the U.S. is largely duty-free.