The Minister of Mineral Resources of Greenland has rejected US attempts to divide its island’s wealth, stating that no external power should decide the fate of the vast natural wealth of the Arctic territory.
„Everything is on the table, except our sovereignty,” said Minister Naaja Nathanielsen in an interview with Politico, two days after Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte held closed-door discussions, which the US President claimed included an agreement on the island’s resources.
Nathanielsen challenged their right to do so, stating that her country "will not accept that the future development of our mineral sector be decided outside Greenland."
Trump started the week by threatening to impose massive tariffs on EU countries if they do not hand over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, but withdrew the threats after stating that he had reached a "framework for a future agreement" with Rutte.
But if the agreement includes allowing any other country besides Greenland to control the minerals, it's a "no" from us, the minister said.
The Arctic island hosts enough elements of certain rare earths to meet a quarter of global demand, along with vast amounts of oil, gas, gold, and metals for clean energy - but has extracted almost none of them.
While the exact details of the agreement remain unclear, a European official told Politico on Thursday that it could involve a council overseeing the island's minerals.
Nathanielsen rejected this possibility. "This would amount to giving up sovereignty, that is, our jurisdiction, what happens with our minerals," she said, suggesting the possibility of resolving Greenland's resource issue through multilateral discussions.
"I'm not saying there is no agreement," she said, adding that the government "has no objections to building NATO capacity in Greenland or monitoring of any kind."
"But we cannot start trading minerals for sovereignty," she said.
After meeting with Greenland's Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen in Nuuk on Friday to discuss the potential agreement with Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that while the situation remains serious, "we have a path that we are trying with the Americans."
Frederiksen met with Rutte in Brussels on Friday morning to discuss the details of the NATO chief's talks with Trump.
Nielsen said on Thursday that she still does not know the details of the agreement.
Allies, not friends
The European Union is in a panic to build a supply chain for raw materials practically from scratch, as global supply chains for vital materials for clean energy, technology, and military equipment become less secure amid fractured global alliances.
Greenland is seen as a potential solution, and the EU signed a strategic partnership with it regarding minerals in 2023.
Nathanielsen believes that the US has shown more "agility" in building mineral supply chains due to Trump's avalanche of trade agreements with dozens of countries worldwide and national legislation alignment. The EU "has been a bit slower in doing this, because it is much more difficult," the minister said.
Now, Greenland is cautiously reassessing the risk levels presented by the US after Trump seemed to rule out the possibility of military intervention on the island.
"People are still at an impasse, but we have taken steps down the conflict ladder," Nathanielsen said. But it has become clear that "the US is an ally, not necessarily a friend at this moment," she added.