Denmark pushes back as Trump touts Greenland oil and mineral deals

What the report says

Denmark has pushed back after US President Donald Trump suggested on social media that oil, gas and mineral extraction would soon begin in Greenland. In a statement on Wednesday, Denmark’s Foreign Ministry said last month’s agreement among Denmark, Greenland and the United States did not change the rules for access to natural resources on the island, and did not give US investors any special treatment.

The dispute comes after Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen signed a 10-page deal in New York on September 22 during the UN General Assembly. According to the article, the agreement was intended to reduce tensions after months of Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland. It expanded US activity at the Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland and opened the door to two additional military bases and the “Golden Dome” missile defense system, while also reaffirming Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.

The article says the pact did not include mining or drilling rights. It also notes that Greenland banned uranium mining and future oil exploration in 2021, although its government is still reviewing an older permit held by a Texas company, Greenland Energy. The company has said it hopes to drill in 2027, but it does not yet have its own permit.

The exchange matters because Greenland has strategic military value and potential resource wealth, making it a recurring point of tension between Washington and Copenhagen. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera warned that Trump’s comments could suggest his ambitions have not changed, even after the agreement.