US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that the US will begin efforts to mine minerals and oil in Greenland, following an agreement with Denmark.
"Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland!" he wrote on Truth Social. "There are Experts that are saying that the amount of easily available Oil is far greater than that of almost any land, anywhere in the World and, even more importantly, from a Security Purpose in the Defense and Offense of both the United States of America, and Europe, is second to none."
Trump also claimed that, "Any future attack on the United States will have to come across Greenland, where our Defense will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived. It gives us time, location, and sightline, like nowhere else in the World! Thank you for your attention to this matter."
Trump has long expressed interest in Greenland, an 836,000‑square‑mile island strategically located between the US, Europe and Russia, and rich in natural resources including oil, gas and rare earth minerals. After winning the 2024 presidential election, he revived an earlier offer to purchase the territory, which was again rejected.
In early 2026, the White House said that Trump was “discussing a range of options" to acquire Greenland, emphasizing that the use of the US military is not being ruled out.
In September, Trump announced an agreement with Denmark which would see the US having security control over Greenland, writing on Truth Social, "I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has entered into an Agreement with The Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland, that gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many US concerns."
"There will be NO COST to the United States! At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America," he added.
He stated that the agreement is an "Infinite Life" agreement and added, "We are very honored and proud of what has just taken place, and everything agreed to today will be cherished by the American People. We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many."