President Trump said on Wednesday that Greenland is preparing to begin “massive” oil, gas and mineral exploration.
“Large-scale oil, gas and mineral exploration is getting ready to begin in our beautiful New Greenland,” Trump said in a statement posted on his Truth social platform, without providing further details.
The president added, “Some experts say the amount of readily available oil far exceeds the amount of almost any land anywhere in the world.”
Trump also praised Greenland’s role in U.S. defense in Europe, saying “any future attack” on the United States would have to pass through the semi-autonomous island, “where our defense will routinely shoot down drones, missiles or any other weapons not yet conceived.”
“It gives us a time, a place and a perspective like no other place in the world!” Mr Trump added.
Four weeks ago, the United States, Greenland and Denmark, which administers the territory, signed an agreement new security protocols to strengthen the U.S. military and security presence on the island.
The agreement, which gives the United States broad access to the island’s airspace and territory, focuses primarily on using Greenland for military purposes but also mentions resource extraction and “mineral cooperation” between the two countries without specifying any details.
The plan would allow the United States to expand the existing Pitufik Space Base, the nation’s northernmost military installation, to serve as an early warning system for incoming missiles. The agreement also said the United States could establish additional bases at places like Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, which are about 950 miles apart. Any of the three parties can propose more “defensible areas” as needed, subject to the approval of the other parties.
Jonathan Walter, Valentina Breschi/AFP via Getty Images 
The agreement has no expiration date and prohibits non-NATO countries from establishing bases on the islands without the consent of all parties.
Since his first term, Trump has cited Greenland’s strategic location as one of the reasons for increasing U.S. control over the semi-autonomous island, even suggesting buying it from Denmark or using military force.
Some Industry experts Greenland’s mineral resources are believed to have only been lightly explored, and so far the costs of extraction have not made economic sense for private companies.