Greenland granted a 30-year mining permit to a Danish-French consortium this week, strengthening European ties as President Donald Trump continues pushing to acquire the Arctic territory.
The permit allows Greenland Anorthosite Mining to extract anorthosite, a white rock used in aluminum production and defense applications. The company is backed by French investment firm Jean Boulle Group and Danish state funds.
The deal comes as Trump has renewed interest in buying Greenland, saying earlier in the month that he couldn’t rule out annexation. But Greenland’s Mineral Resources Minister Naaja Nathanielsen said American interest hasn’t produced investment.
“We have welcomed a number of investors, but we have not yet seen any concrete example of American funds being injected into Greenland’s business community,” Nathanielsen told Reuters on Wednesday.
She contrasted that with European progress: “There is no doubt that the dialogue with both the EU and Denmark is going smoother.”
Trump has called Greenland ownership “an absolute necessity” for US security. The island hosts a US military base and sits on vast mineral reserves including rare earth elements critical for technology manufacturing.
Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede has repeatedly said the island isn’t for sale. The territory has self-governance under Denmark but growing support for independence, with 60% now favoring EU membership according to recent polling.
The European Union has firmly rejected US acquisition attempts. Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the EU is “not negotiating” on Greenland, while Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius declared readiness to “defend” Denmark.
Greenland covers 2.17 million square kilometers and offers the shortest route between North America and Europe. A 2023 survey found 25 of 34 minerals deemed critical by the European Commission in Greenlandic territory.
The mining company plans to ship crushed anorthosite as a sustainable alternative in fiberglass production, with hopes of beginning operations within five years pending additional investment.
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