Trump: 'Massive' oil, gas and mineral exploration set for Greenland

US President Donald Trump praised Greenland as the "second to none" location for the security of the United States and Europe. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that any future attack on America would have to pass through the Arctic island. He added that the United States would routinely neutralize drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon in Greenland before they could pose a threat.

Trump also mentioned that oil, gas, and mineral exploration was about to commence in Greenland. Washington recently signed a security agreement with Greenland and Denmark following Trump's threat to take control of the strategically important Arctic Circle territory by force. Greenland's position on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the United States makes it a highly strategic location for Trump's envisioned "Golden Dome" defense shield.

Moreover, the island possesses untapped rare earth deposits and could play a critical role as melting polar ice opens new shipping routes. Trump claimed that the amount of easily accessible oil in Greenland surpasses that of almost any other place in the world. However, he did not specify the extent of American involvement. In August, reports of a US oil company's preparatory operations in eastern Greenland raised concerns among locals and authorities on the island.

The security deal between the US, Greenland, and Denmark was signed in September during the UN General Assembly in New York. Under the agreement, the US would modernize and expand its existing Pituffik Space Base and establish new defense areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig. It would also grant the US free access to and movement between defense areas across Greenland, including territorial waters, by land, air, and sea.

American aircraft would have the right to fly over and land on any territory on the island. Both Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the agreement, which did not include Trump's desire to seize the territory for the US. They emphasized that the deal would enhance common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic.

The US had around 17 military facilities and over 10,000 troops in Greenland during the Cold War, but currently operates only one base, the Pituffik Space Base, which is utilized for missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance missions.