U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that large-scale oil, gas and mineral exploration will soon begin in Greenland, the Arctic island that is a self-governing territory of Denmark.
In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump asserted that Greenland holds one of the world's largest oil reserves in easily extractable form.
"Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral exploration is about to begin in our beautiful new Greenland!" he wrote.
According to the U.S. president, citing experts, "the amount of easily accessible oil is far greater than almost anywhere in the world." He did not, however, detail how the United States might take part in the activity.
The move follows last month's security agreement Trump reached with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland, expanding the U.S. military's role on the island. That deal paves the way for two new military bases and a "Golden Dome" missile defense system under Trump's plan, while reaffirming Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders' right to self-determination.
The agreement is seen as ending a nearly two-year crisis over Trump's refusal to rule out taking Greenland by force.
In Wednesday's post, Trump also praised the security benefits that both the United States and Europe gain from last month's deal as "unmatched."
He argued that any airborne attack on the United States could not be carried out without passing over Greenland, allowing Washington to neutralize any threat.
"Any future attack on the United States would have to go through Greenland, where our defense systems will regularly shoot down drones, missiles, or any other weapon never before imagined," Trump said. "It gives us time, location, and sight, like no place else in the world!"
There was no immediate response from Greenlandic or Danish leaders to the president's post.
