Denmark said that if the United States wishes to explore Greenland's natural resources, it must do so in accordance with the legislation of the Arctic island. The security agreement concluded last month between Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk does not change this situation, reports “Reuters“, reports News.bg.
The reason for the reaction was US President Donald Trump's statement on Wednesday that a “large-scale exploration for oil, gas and minerals“ is about to begin in Greenland. His remarks sparked fresh controversy over the territory, which has resisted his attempts to establish control over it and has banned new oil exploration.
In a post on his social network Truth Social, Trump called the Danish Arctic island, run by a semi-autonomous government, “our beautiful new Greenland”. He highlighted the benefits to the United States of the security agreement signed in September and said that experts say the amount of readily available oil there is much greater than in almost any other territory in the world. However, the president did not name specific deals or projects to develop deposits.
In a statement, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the agreement does not give US investors preferential treatment over investors from other NATO countries, the European Union and partner countries in terms of access to Greenland's natural resources. The document does not provide for mining or drilling rights. The Greenlandic prime minister's office declined to comment on Trump's statement, and the island's Ministry of Mineral Resources did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump has repeatedly said that the United States should purchase or take control of the strategically located and mineral-rich Greenland for national security reasons. He has repeatedly refused to rule out the use of force. Last month, the United States, Denmark and Greenland reached an agreement that allows Washington to increase its military presence on the island and appeared to be a step toward easing tensions.
In 2021, Greenland banned uranium mining, as well as any future oil exploration. The government is currently reviewing whether Texas-based company “Greenland Energy“ can use permits issued before the ban was implemented. In August, the company announced plans to drill for oil in 2027 in an unexplored basin off the island's east coast, even though it does not have its own permit. The previous owner of the rights, ARCO, invested heavily in seismic surveys in the 1970s but has not started drilling.
Independent Danish security expert Jakob Karsbo warned that Trump's statements indicate that his intention to establish control over Greenland may remain unchanged. "It is extremely dangerous to view this agreement between the Trump administration and Denmark as something that has changed Trump's intentions," he said.
The ten-page agreement between the United States, Denmark and Greenland paves the way for the establishment of two new military bases and the deployment of Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense system. At the same time, the document affirms Danish sovereignty and the right of Greenlanders to self-determination.
Trump argues for the strategic importance of the island with its geographical location and the ability to detect threats early. "Any future attack on the United States would have to pass through Greenland, where our defenses would routinely shoot down drones, missiles, or any other form of weaponry that hasn't even been invented yet," he said. This, he said, gives the United States "time, location, and direct visibility that is not available anywhere else in the world."