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Trump announces oil and gas exploration to begin in Greenland

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 08:21 · Archive

President Trump said massive oil, gas and mineral exploration is preparing to begin in Greenland following a security agreement signed last month.

President Trump announced on Wednesday that massive oil, gas and mineral exploration is preparing to begin in Greenland. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the amount of easily available oil in the territory is far greater than that of almost any other land in the world.

The announcement follows a security agreement signed last month between the United States, Denmark and Greenland. That agreement came after Trump had repeatedly threatened to take control of the strategically located, mineral-rich island. The new security deal expands American military and security presence on the island, giving the United States broad access to its airspace and territory.

Under the agreement, the United States can expand the existing Pituffik Space Base, the northernmost US military installation which serves as an early-warning system for incoming missiles. The US can also establish additional military bases at sites known as Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, roughly 950 miles apart. The agreement mentions resource extraction and minerals cooperation between the countries, though it does not specify details.

Trump emphasised Greenland's strategic importance for defence, stating that any future attack on the United States would have to come across Greenland, where American defences would routinely intercept drones, missiles and other weapons. He added that Greenland gives the United States time, location and sightline unavailable elsewhere in the world, and is second to none for the defence and offence of both America and Europe.

Trump did not provide details about when or how the oil, gas and mineral exploration would begin. Fox News reports that Greenland's government stopped issuing new oil and gas exploration licenses in 2021, citing environmental and climate concerns. Some previously issued licenses remain valid, although drilling requires additional government approvals. The outlet also notes that Greenland is believed to hold significant untapped oil and gas resources, but commercially recoverable reserves have not been established.

France 24 reports that media coverage in August described a US oil company's preparatory operations in a remote region of eastern Greenland, which left local authorities on the island uneasy. The agreement between Washington and Greenland also affirms Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders' right to self-determination.

Trump announces oil and gas exploration to begin in Greenland
Image: New York Post

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In this story: Donald Trump · United States · Greenland · Denmark · Europe

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem