Reviving tensions over the Arctic island, President Donald Trump on Oct. 14 said "massive" oil, gas and mineral exploration activities are set to begin in Greenland.
"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," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
"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's post continued. "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."
Trump did not elaborate further about the resource
exploration plans.
Controlling mineral-rich Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, has been a priority for Trump during his second term as president.
Greenland’s deputy mining minister Jørgen Hammeken-Holm told CNN that "we are very far away from 'massive' exploration." Hammeken-Holm told the outlet that although smaller explorations were underway, those “could take years to become operational."
USA TODAY has reached out to Greenland officials.
In September, the U.S., Denmark and Greenland signed a security agreement allowing the U.S. to expand its military presence on the island. It also prohibits American adversaries from having a military presence on or making investments in Greenland without written approval.
The deal came after Trump's repeated threats to take control of Greenland, which strained relations with Denmark and other NATO allies.
Contributing: Reuters
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Massive' resource exploration to start in Greenland, Trump says
