The frequently changing weather conditions and the high dependence on the environment of almost all aspects of life have made the concept of “immaqa“, which can be translated roughly as “maybe”, an integral part of Greenlandic culture. This cultural characteristic fully describes the possibilities for expanding the economic presence of the United States on the territory of Greenland’s autonomy.
Donald Trump is not the first to be interested in Greenland’s resources, but so far, the mining industry in the country has been limited. One exception is cryolite mining, which took place from the mid-19th century until the end of the 1980s.
By January 2025, the Tanbreez rare earth deposit in the Kringlerne Mountains near Narsaq could be considered the closest to fully developed. However, even in this case, larger investments would be needed to create the necessary transport infrastructure and produce on a strategic scale. Therefore, it is likely that Critical Metals Corp., which acquired rights to the deposit in June 2024, will later sell it to a larger company if successful. The main advantage of Tanbreez over Kvanefjeld, which is often mentioned, is that there is no uranium ore present in the rock. This means that there is much less concern about environmental issues and the lifting of the uranium mining moratorium, which has taken effect from December 2021, will not be necessary.
The introduction of this moratorium, among other things, has put an end to the plans of the Australian company, Greenland Minerals and Energy Ltd., from November 2022. Energy Transition Minerals Ltd. was planning to develop a field in Greenland. In July 2023, this company began arbitration proceedings with the government of Greenland. Among its shareholders are Chinese companies such as China Nonferrous Metal Industry’s Foreign Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. and Shenghe Resources Holding Co. Ltd.
In November 2021, the Greenland government also revoked the license for the mining of the Isua iron ore deposit in southern Greenland from the Chinese company, General Nice. By the beginning of 2025, China’s economic presence in the mining sector of Greenland has been virtually non-existent. This should not cause concern for the United States. In the future, the United States may attempt to put pressure on the government of Greenland to lift the moratorium on uranium mining at the Kvanefjeld deposit. This could be done in order to gain control over this valuable resource. If the Siumut party forms the government after the upcoming elections in April 2025, the chances of this happening increase. However, the main challenge is that lifting the moratorium would require a referendum, which is enshrined in the coalition agreements between the two largest parties in Greenland – Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit. These agreements were reached back in April 2022, and verbally confirmed again in the fall of 2023 (although nothing is mentioned in the additional agreement on uranium in September). Despite this, there have been statements from Siumut members about the need for lifting the moratorium at congress in July 2023 and later.
Full-fledged economic development in Greenland may be too costly for the United States and its current military presence will not be a significant factor in addressing this issue. In this case, the real challenge for Donald Trump’s administration is not Russia or China, but rather the Arctic climate and environment.
It is interesting to note that the draft constitution for Greenland contains a unique legal provision: “The people of Greenland are part of nature, and we must protect the environment, ecosystems, biodiversity, and all living creatures within it. We depend on nature for our survival, and together we must create a sustainable society for future generations.”
This emphasis on environmental protection and sustainability is unlikely to change under Donald Trump, who has expressed concern about climate change but has also proposed policies that could harm the environment. Trump’s policies will impose a significant burden on the American economy. This will require a full assessment of Greenland’s potential. In other words, it will require not a sword, but shovel and pickaxe. This is especially true in light of the record number of problems that have accumulated in relations between the federal government and Alaska, an Arctic state of the United States.
In 2024, there were disputes about these issues. Republican Senator Dan Sullivan from Alaska said in January 2025 that the Arctic state is still “the cornerstone of American missile defense” and that Alaska is even more valuable in terms of natural resources. It’s worth noting that in early 2025, the University of Alaska in Fairbanks received funding to conduct research on the geological potential of the state and the possibility of extracting important resources in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.
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