President Trump said Wednesday that he is preparing to begin “massive” oil, gas and mineral exploration in Greenland. In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that “massive oil, gas and mineral exploration is preparing to begin in our beautiful new Greenland,” but did not elaborate. The president added that “there are experts who say that the amount of oil readily available is much greater than that of almost any land, anywhere in the world.” Trump also praised Greenland’s role in defending the United States in Europe, saying that “any future attack” against the United States would have to pass through the semi-autonomous island, “where our defense will routinely shoot down drones, missiles or any other form of weapon not yet conceived.” “It gives us time, location and line of sight, like nowhere else in the world!” Mr. Trump added. The Prime Minister of Greenland, the Prime Minister of Denmark and President Trump sign a security pact on September 22, 2026 in New York City. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images The announcement comes more than four weeks after the US, Greenland and Denmark, which oversees the territory, signed a new security agreement to bolster the US military and security presence on the island. That agreement, which grants the US broad access to the island’s airspace and territory, focuses largely on the use of Greenland for military purposes, but also mentions resource extraction and “mineral cooperation” between the two countries, without specifying any details. The plan allows the US to expand the existing Pituffik space base, the northernmost US military facility that serves as an early warning system for incoming missiles. The agreement also says the United States can establish additional bases at sites known as Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, which are approximately 950 miles away. Any of the three parties can propose further “areas of defense” as needed, subject to the approval of the others. Map showing the main deposits of selected critical minerals in Greenland, according to the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. Jonathan Walter, Valentina Breschi/AFP via Getty Images The agreement, which has no expiration date, also prevents non-NATO countries from establishing bases on the island without the parties’ agreement. Since his first term, Trump had cited Greenland’s strategic location as one of the reasons for greater US control over the semi-autonomous island, and even suggested purchasing the island from Denmark or using military force. Some industry experts believe that the mineral resources in Greenland have only been lightly explored and so far the cost of extraction has not made economic sense for private companies. Kathryn Watson contributed to this report. More from CBS News Go deeper with The Free Press in:
