"President Trump has made access to Greenland’s vast reserves of critical minerals a focus of ongoing negotiations. But experts say the U.S. is underestimating the difficulties of mining in a rapidly changing Arctic region that is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth."
"President Donald Trump has been voicing interest in exploiting Greenland’s mineral wealth since his first term in office, when he started talking about possibly seizing the autonomous territory. His threats of a hostile takeover have eased, but amid the focus on national security issues, access to critical minerals is now a key component in Trump’s “framework of a future deal.” Such a deal reportedly would open investment opportunities to U.S. mining companies — while restricting non-NATO countries from obtaining mining rights — and give the U.S. access to more valuable rare earth minerals, a global resource now nearly monopolized by China.
But experts warn that the reality of finding, extracting, and transporting precious and rare earth minerals to refineries and markets is far more complicated, and environmentally fraught, than the Trump administration may have anticipated.
“I’m skeptical, borderline cynical, that [the framework is] going to make any difference,” said Michael Jardine, managing director of Skylark Minerals. The Australia-based company recently ended a two-decade-old plan to develop a zinc mine in Greenland, a decision that Jardine attributed to high costs associated with energy, transportation, labor, and local political uncertainty. While more than 200 mining companies have exploration licenses in Greenland, only two mines are currently active."
Ed Struzik reports for Yale Environment 360 February 4, 2026.
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