Trump's Greenland Deal: Unpacking the Mineral Riches Beneath the Ice

Sat Jan 24 2026 08:21:58 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Donald Trump reveals a proposed framework for a deal involving Greenland, highlighting its vast mineral resources, including rare earth elements critical for technology and defense.

Donald Trump has announced a potential framework for a deal concerning Greenland, claiming it includes rights to the island's mineral resources. Greenland is believed to host substantial reserves of critical materials such as oil, gas, and various raw materials crucial for technology, underscoring its strategic importance in global geopolitics. Although Trump's interests may be rooted in security and countering foreign influence, experts point to an underlying motive tied to access to Greenland's lucrative mineral wealth.

Donald Trump has made clear he covets Greenland.

Now he claims to have secured the framework of a future deal to address defense on the island - a deal that he says includes rights to rare earth minerals.

So what natural resources does Greenland have?

Greenland is believed to sit on top of large reserves of oil and natural gas. It is also said to be home to the vast majority of raw materials considered crucial for electronics, green energy and other strategic and military technologies – to which Trump has been pushing to secure America's access.

Overall, 25 of 34 minerals deemed critical raw materials by the European Commission are found in Greenland, including graphite, niobium and titanium, according to the 2023 Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland.

Greenland's strategic importance is not just about defense, Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, said at a Senate hearing last year about the potential acquisition of Greenland, pointing to the island's vast reserves of rare earth elements.

Trump has sometimes downplayed the importance of those resources, pointing to what he claims is rising Russian and Chinese influence in the region to justify his claims that the US has to have the island.

I want Greenland for security - I don't want it for anything else, he told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, noting the challenges of exploration in the Arctic region, which involve significant ice cover.

But access to the island's natural resources has loomed large in the background for the administration, which has made combatting China's dominance of the rare earths industry a priority.

Trump's interest in controlling Greenland is primarily about access to those resources, and blocking China's access, according to Steven Lamy, professor of international relations at the University of Southern California.

Even before Trump's second term, the US had been tightening its ties with Greenland, reopening its consulate in Nuuk in 2020, responding to Russia and China's expanding military presence in the Arctic.

Since Trump's return to office, his allies have highlighted Greenland's commercial potential, as rising temperatures reveal new shipping routes and opportunities for natural resources, particularly those aligned with defense strategies.

Analysts warn that tapping Greenland’s resources is complicated by the harsh environment, lack of infrastructure, and economic factors. Critics argue that U.S. control may not be necessary for accessing the island's resources.

Overall, while Greenland's mineral wealth could play a significant role in shifting global supply chains, the logistics and costs involved in extraction remain significant hurdles.