Trump’s Greenland “Framework” Raises Questions Over Critical Minerals and
US President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington has reached a “framework of a future deal” over Greenland has raised more questions than answers, particularly over whether access to the Arctic territory’s vast natural resources and critical minerals is part of the discussions.
Trump’s recent announcement on his Truth Social platform after meetings at the World Economic Forum in Davos appeared to mark a de-escalation after weeks of mounting pressure on Denmark and Greenland.
Those tensions had included threats of tariffs and repeated suggestions that the United States might use force to secure control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory. Instead, Trump said the framework emerged from a “very productive meeting” with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and suggested talks would continue.
“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” Trump wrote, offering no details on what the framework contains.
A mysterious and vague framework
What has followed has been a series of clarifications about what the deal does not include.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark is open to negotiations on security and cooperation but stressed that “we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen echoed that position, calling sovereignty a “red line” and saying he was unaware of the substance of any framework being discussed.
NATO officials have likewise emphasized that the alliance has no mandate to negotiate territorial arrangements and that any talks would have to involve Denmark, Greenland, and the US directly.
Despite the lack of specifics, Trump’s comments have revived debate over why Greenland matters so much to Washington. Security considerations have dominated official statements, yet Greenland’s natural resources remain a central but unresolved part of the picture.
A resource-centric agenda
Despite the lack of specifics, Trump’s comments have revived debate over why Greenland matters so much to Washington. Security considerations have dominated official statements, yet Greenland’s natural resources remain a central but unresolved part of the picture.
Greenland is believed to sit on top of large reserves of oil and natural gas, though commercial extraction has yet to take off. The island is thought to host substantial deposits of minerals considered critical for modern economies and military technologies.
According to the 2023 Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, 25 of the 34 minerals classified as “critical raw materials” by the European Commission are found in Greenland, including graphite, niobium and titanium. These materials are essential for electronics, Trump himself has frequently linked Greenland to minerals and security in the same breath, arguing that US control would…
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