US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that “massive” exploration for oil, gas and minerals was about to begin in Greenland, the Arctic island that is a self-governing Danish territory.
He made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, a month after striking a security deal with Denmark and Greenland, according to Al Jazeera.
“Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland!” he wrote.
Trump said the island holds some of the world’s largest reserves of “easily” extractable oil.
“The amount of easily available Oil is far greater than that of almost … anywhere in the World,” he wrote, quoting experts.
He gave no details of any potential US involvement.
Last month’s agreement, reached with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland, expands the role of the US military on the island.
It paves the way for two new military bases and for Trump’s planned “Golden Dome” missile defence system, while reaffirming Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.
The deal was meant to end a crisis lasting almost two years, sparked by Trump’s refusal to rule out seizing Greenland by force.
In his post, Trump also hailed the security benefits the pact had brought to both the United States and Europe, calling them “second to none”.
He argued that any aerial attack on the United States would have to pass Greenland, which he said would allow 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,” Trump said.
“It gives 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.
