President Donald Trump announced the imminent start of large‑scale geological exploration and the extraction of oil, gas, and critical minerals in Greenland. The US leader stressed the strategic importance of the Arctic region for American energy supplies and national security, saying expert estimates point to colossal hydrocarbon deposits on the island, with easily accessible reserves that substantially exceed those of most territories worldwide.
In addition to energy plans, the president highlighted Greenland’s defensive role, calling it a key frontier in the defense of the United States. On social media, Trump said any hypothetical attack on the US territory would inevitably transit the island and that deployed defensive complexes there were intended to intercept and destroy missiles, drones, and other types of weaponry.
Mr. Trump’s remarks followed the signing of a trilateral agreement between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland’s authorities that expand Washington’s military and economic presence in the region. The pact is designed to resolve earlier diplomatic disputes and ease tensions sparked by the president’s prior threats to seize the island by force. The agreement opens the way for the construction of two new US military bases and the installation of elements of a “Golden Dome” missile defense system.