According to US media, Western officials are discussing measures to limit Russia and China's access to mineral resources in Greenland, considering this part of broader exchanges on Arctic security.
Greenland is an autonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark, which is assessed to possess abundant resources such as zinc, lead, gold, iron ore, copper, hydrocarbons and especially rare earth mines serving the high-tech industry.
Since the 2009 Autonomy Act, resource management rights have been granted to the Greenland government, but the strategic location and economic potential of the island still attract the attention of major powers.
Russia "outsides" Greenland
Contrary to speculations from the West, Russia has repeatedly publicly rejected all accusations that Moscow is interested in Greenland. President Vladimir Putin affirmed that the Greenland issue "is not related" to Russia, while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that the US "fully knows" that Russia has no plans or ambitions for this island.
That stance is reinforced by specific economic analyses. Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin said that investing in Greenland is unreasonable in terms of trade.
According to him, to be able to deploy large-scale exploitation, Greenland needs huge initial investments, from transportation infrastructure, energy to human resources, in harsh natural conditions and extremely high operating costs.
Reality shows that although dozens of mineral exploration licenses have been issued, most still only exist on paper. Industrial-scale exploitation activities have almost not taken place, reflecting major economic and technical barriers. For Moscow, this is a risky gamble, difficult to bring corresponding benefits.
Ambassador Barbin emphasized that Russia currently possesses huge resources right in its Arctic territory, including large oil and gas fields, world-leading nickel, copper, palladium reserves, along with coal, gold, diamonds and rare earths.
These areas have built-in infrastructure and clearer economic efficiency than Greenland, making "outstanding" a reasonable option.
The US is eager for the Arctic "treasure".
Conversely, the US shows increasing interest in Greenland. President Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized the strategic importance of the island, from its military position in the Arctic to its resource potential. Washington also linked this issue with arguments about threats from Russia and China, although both countries have rejected them.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr. Trump said that a "framework" agreement related to Greenland has been put forward, according to which the US will have expanded military access. In fact, Washington has operated military facilities in Greenland under long-term defense agreements with Denmark.
Notably, US Vice President J.D. Vance later declared that the US expects to have access to part of Greenland's natural resources as a "reward" for its military protection role.
This approach faced reactions from local authorities. Greenland Mineral Resources Minister Naaja Nathanielsen affirmed that Greenland does not accept the future of the mineral industry being decided from outside.
