President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that massive oil, gas and mineral exploration is getting ready to begin in Greenland. The post gave no start date, operator or site in Greenland for the work.
Calling it “our new and beautiful Greenland,” Trump said experts say the amount of easily available oil there is far greater than that of almost any land anywhere in the world. He did not name the experts or give an amount.
He also framed Greenland as second to none for the defense and offense of the United States and Europe. It gives the United States “time, location, and sightline, like nowhere else in the world,” he said.
Any future attack on the United States, Trump said, will have to come across Greenland. He said U.S. defenses there would routinely knock down drones, missiles or other weapons “not yet even conceived.”
Virginia Times reported earlier that Trump signed a security agreement Tuesday with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. The White House called the agreement critical to U.S. defense in the Arctic, and Reuters reported the signing took place during the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Reuters reported that a text released after the ceremony allows the United States to establish a “Golden Dome” defense system in Greenland, expand its military presence there and amend a 1951 defense agreement. Military sites are expected to open at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, Reuters reported, and Trump said in a U.N. speech that the United States would build two major military bases.
Before signing, Trump said the agreement would grant the United States permanent rights to Greenland’s security. He said adversaries would not be allowed to build military bases, maintain a military presence or make sensitive investments in Greenland without written U.S. permission. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously said the agreement would permanently address U.S. security concerns in Greenland and exclude adversaries from the area.
Denmark and Greenland emphasized that the agreement preserves sovereignty and self-determination. Frederiksen said it recognizes the Kingdom of Denmark’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination, while Nielsen said it recognizes Greenland’s interests and emphasized NATO’s role in Arctic security, Reuters reported.
The Danish Prime Minister’s Office said before the ceremony that the agreement would enter into force only after the necessary national parliamentary procedures. The White House signing announcement did not address those remaining steps.
