Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday that the United States would launch massive oil, gas and mineral exploration in Greenland, a claim that clashes with a 2021 Danish ban on all new petroleum exploration and mining.
The island, governed by a semi‑autonomous Danish administration, has consistently rejected U.S. claims of ownership and has prohibited any new drilling licences since the ban.
In the same breath, Trump highlighted a security agreement signed in September between the United States, Denmark and Greenland that allows the U.S. to establish two new military bases and deploy the “Golden Dome” missile‑defence system, yet the deal makes no reference to mining rights.
The agreement, hailed by Trump as a strategic win, has not altered Greenland’s stance on resource extraction, yet the island’s ministry of mineral resources is currently reviewing a permit application from Texas‑based Greenland Energy, a company that had planned to drill in 2027 on an untested basin on the east coast.
Independent Danish security policy advisor Jacob Kaarsbo warned that Trump’s post signals the former president’s enduring desire to control Greenland, describing the remarks as “extremely dangerous” for the island’s autonomy.
Greenland’s prime ministerial office declined to comment on Trump’s statement, while the Danish foreign ministry has not yet issued a response, leaving the political future of the island’s resources in limbo.