President Donald Trump announced early Wednesday that “massive” oil, gas and mineral exploration is set to begin across Greenland, describing the semi-autonomous Danish territory as “our new and beautiful Greenland” in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The president did not specify which projects are ready to move forward or name any companies involved, but he presented the development as a green light already given. “Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland!” Trump wrote, adding that “the amount of easily available Oil is far greater than that of almost… anywhere in the World.”
According to Breitbart News, which first reported the post, the announcement offered no further detail on the scale, timeline or participants in the exploration effort. There was no immediate confirmation from Danish or Greenlandic authorities regarding new licensing or drilling approvals.
A security argument for the Arctic island
Trump framed the resource push within a broader strategic case for Greenland, arguing that the island occupies a position of unique importance for both the United States and Europe. He described Greenland as “second to none” for joint U.S.-European security, noting that any future attack on America would have to pass through the Arctic island.
“From a Security Purpose in the Defense and Offense of both the United States of America, and Europe, [Greenland] is second to none,” Trump said. He added that any attacks on the U.S. would have to cross Greenland, “where our Defense will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived.”
The comments echo themes Trump has returned to since his first term, when he first raised the strategic value of Greenland and floated the idea of acquiring it. The matter remained a priority after he returned to the White House in 2025, as Breitbart News has reported, and it featured prominently in his repeated push for greater American security involvement on the island.
Agreement signed last month expands U.S. military footprint
The resource announcement follows a diplomatic breakthrough reached last month, when the United States, Denmark and Greenland signed an agreement after Trump’s repeated lobbying for maximum security coverage of the island. European allies had initially resisted the push, and Denmark at one point rejected a proposed deal outright during a meeting between Trump and NATO’s chief — an episode Breitbart News covered at the time.
That 10-page agreement expands the U.S. military’s role in Greenland and paves the way for two new military bases as well as Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system. The new installations are to be established at Narsarsuaq in the south of the island and Mestersvig in the east, supplementing the Pituffik base the U.S. already operates in the north.
At the same time, the agreement explicitly reaffirms Danish sovereignty over Greenland and the Greenlanders’ right to self-determination — a provision that speaks to the sensitivity of the arrangement in Copenhagen and Nuuk, where talk of American acquisition has long stirred unease.
Untapped resources and shifting shipping routes
Greenland’s appeal extends well beyond its geography. The island holds untapped rare earth deposits that have drawn interest from governments and industry alike, and melting polar ice is opening new shipping routes through the Arctic that could reshape global trade patterns.
Trump’s post gave no indication of how exploration activity might interact with the newly signed defense agreement, nor how Greenland’s own government — which controls mineral licensing on the island — views the timing of the announcement. The territory has previously placed restrictions on oil and gas extraction, including a halt on new hydrocarbon exploration licenses, though the source account did not address whether those policies have changed.
For now, the president’s statement stands as a declaration of intent rather than a detailed policy rollout. Whether it translates into actual drilling permits, investment commitments or production timelines remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Trump administration intends to keep Greenland — its resources, its strategic position and its future — at the center of its Arctic agenda.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/10/14/drill-baby-drill-trump-says-massive-oil-gas-and-mineral-exploration-in-greenland-good-to-go/