US President Donald Trump has said that “massive” exploration for oil, gas and minerals is about to start in Greenland. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, he claimed the Arctic island, which governs itself but remains under Danish rule, holds some of the world’s largest reserves of oil that can be extracted “easily”.
Trump did not give any details about the potential role of the United States. Citing experts, he wrote that the amount of readily available oil on the island far exceeds that found almost anywhere else in the world.
Security pact with Denmark and Greenland leaders
The announcement follows a security deal Trump reached last month with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland. The agreement expands the American military role on the island and paves the way for two new military bases and Trump’s planned “Golden Dome” missile defence system.
The deal also reaffirms Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination. It was aimed at ending a crisis of nearly two years, which began when Trump refused to rule out seizing Greenland by force. In his Wednesday post, he described the security gains for both the US and Europe from the pact as “second to none”.
Trump’s claims on aerial defence over Greenland
Trump argued that any aerial attack on the United States would have to pass over Greenland, allowing Washington to neutralise any threat. “Any future attack on the United States will have to come across Greenland, where our defence will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived,” he said.
He added that the island gives the US “time, location, and sightline, like nowhere else in the world!” There was no immediate comment on the post from the leaders of Greenland or Denmark.
