Trump says 'massive' oil and mineral exploration set to begin in 'our new' Greenland

President Donald Trump said early Wednesday that large-scale oil, gas and mineral exploration is about to begin in Greenland. "Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland," he wrote on Truth Social, citing unnamed experts who he said believe the island's easily available oil is greater than almost anywhere in the world. He did not say which projects he meant or what role the United States would play. Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, not part of the United States.

Trump also stressed the island's strategic location, writing that "any future attack" on the U.S. would have to come across Greenland. A security agreement signed by the U.S., Denmark and Greenland in New York in September allows the expansion of Pituffik Space Base and new defense areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, while reaffirming Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders' right to self-determination. According to AP, it grants no special exploration rights.

Representatives of the Danish and Greenlandic governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment, AP reported. Experts point to steep obstacles: a harsh climate, scarce infrastructure and difficult geology have kept resource projects on the island from moving beyond exploration for decades. AP also linked the remarks to energy prices driven up by the Iran war and to next month's midterm elections.