President Donald Trump said that a “massive” oil, gas and mineral exploration was preparing to begin in Greenland, without giving details of prospective American involvement and hailed the Arctic island’s position for US and European security.
“Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding that “the amount of easily available Oil is far greater than that of almost… anywhere in the World.”
Washington signed a security deal with the leaders of Greenland and Denmark after Trump threatened to take Copenhagen’s strategically important Arctic Circle territory by force.
Read moreUS, Denmark and Greenland sign security deal to bolster Arctic security
Greenland, which lies on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the United States, represents a highly strategic location for Trump’s desired “Golden Dome” defense shield.
It also has untapped rare earth deposits and could be a critical player as melting polar ice opens up new shipping routes.
In August, media reports of a US oil company’s preparatory operations in a remote region of eastern Greenland left locals and authorities on the island uneasy.
Trump on Wednesday hailed Greenland as “second to none” for US and European security, saying any future attack on America would have to pass through the Arctic island.
Greenland “from a Security Purpose in the Defense and Offense of both the United States of America, and Europe, is second to none,” Trump said on Truth Social.
He added any future attacks on the US would have to come across Greenland, “where our Defense will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived”.
The agreement between the US, Denmark and Greenland is still subject to a second reading in Greenland’s parliament before being put to a vote, with lawmakers expected to pass the legislation.
The deal expands the US military’s role in Greenland, paving the way for two new military bases and Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system, while reaffirming Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
