To quote Kipling on your land idea (though it was gold in his poem):


It is always a temptation
To a rich and lazy nation
To puff and look important and to say
Though we know we should defeat you
We have not the time to meet you
We will therefore give you cash to go away.

"And that is called 'Paying the Dane-geld',
But we've proved it again and again
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane"


No, I'm afraid the historical precedents for that approach are not good either. As you say. Hellova puzzle.