- The hunt for rare earths against the Chinese monopoly and permit reviews
- Geostrategic advantages and Arctic missile defence
There is no time to lose. Barely three weeks have passed since the United States signed a defence and security agreement with Denmark and Greenland, and the American president has already launched "massive oil, gas, and mining exploration", albeit without providing further details for now.
He did so via his own network, Truth Social, thereby uncovering the worst-kept secret behind his attempt to appropriate the gigantic Arctic island: the exploitation of its supposedly immense raw materials, indispensable for developing modern devices tied to cutting-edge industry and technology.
The signed agreement, which put an end to tensions between Washington and Copenhagen — as well as with Brussels over viewing Greenland as European territory —, endows the US with sweeping powers and competencies, which Trump has been quick to use in order to take de facto possession of the island.
Geological reports in the White House's possession indicate that Greenland's subsoil oil reserves, besides being easily accessible and exploitable, could surpass those of any current producer nation.
At present, Venezuela is the territory holding the largest quantities of crude in its depths, oil that is likewise now controlled by the United States under the recent treaty signed with the domesticated chavist government, currently presided over provisionally by Delcy Rodríguez, former vice-president to the imprisoned and prosecuted Nicolás Maduro on charges of narcoterrorism and torture.
The hunt for rare earths against the Chinese monopoly and permit reviews
As for potential gas and rare earth reserves in the Danish autonomous territory, these are likewise expected to be substantial, though imminent explorations will determine whether the latter can offset China's current near-global monopoly over the seventeen minerals generically termed "rare earths".
These 17 metallic chemical elements comprise, on the one hand, the lanthanides (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium), and on the other, scandium and yttrium. These elements have become indispensable for manufacturing many components integrated into the most advanced technologies, and are therefore included on the European Commission's list of critical raw materials.
For security reasons stipulated in the tripartite agreement signed at United Nations headquarters, the United States will be able to review the 135 mining exploration and exploitation permits currently held in Greenland by 60 companies, and reactivate and boost their activity.
Geostrategic advantages and Arctic missile defence
Indeed, Trump repeatedly insists in his messages regarding Greenland on the role the island will play once new detection and strike capabilities are operational, which the United States will freely install without Denmark or Greenland's autonomous government being able to object, in accordance with the agreement's terms. According to Trump himself, the newly deployed assets will "systematically shoot down drones and missiles of any kind and even be able to destroy new advanced devices".
The US president never tires of stressing the three major advantages his bases in Greenland afford him: "time, position, and an unbeatable line of sight unlike anywhere else in the world, both for launching an offensive and countering an enemy attack". Trump estimates this will deter potential enemies from attacking the United States, as well as Europe.