Trump-linked firm brings unpermitted drilling equipment to Greenland

📺 The Canary 🕐 August 11, 2026 at 9:19 AM

Donald Trump's Truth Social AI-generated post with 'Hello, Greenland!' across the top as he's depicted holding the mountain tops

Greenland has issued a strong warning to a US oil company that maybe has ties to Donald Trump after it brought drilling equipment ashore without approval.

The Texas-based firm, Greenland Energy, landed machinery on the eastern coast last month for exploratory drilling but failed to coordinate with local authorities as required.

The company, founded last year and whose chief executive reportedly has privileged access to Trump’s inner circle, has announced plans to spend $60 million on exploration.

Complicating delicate trilateral negotiations

Lukas Wahden, an associate fellow at George Washington University, told France 24 that even though trilateral talks between Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, are already underway, this move is likely to have “stepped on a number of toes and created a political scandal”.

He added:

The issue that caused political controversy last week is that the US company Greenland Energy didn’t coordinate with the relevant Greenlandic authorities in its disembarking of equipment for the exploration that is planned in East Greenland.

He said there are “alleged links” between the company’s leadership and the Trump administration, with the CEO reportedly enjoying “privileged access” to Trump’s wider circle. However, he stressed it remains a private company operating on commercial motives, not a state-directed entity.

Greenland ‘obsession’ – oil and rare earths

Wahden added that Trump has also admitted to being interested in expanding US national territory as a means to “cement his political legacy” and to ward off competition in the Arctic with China and Russia.

He said:

Mr. Trump has also admitted to being interested in a potential expansion of the US’s national territory as a means to cement his political legacy.

And I do believe that the potential or desired acquisition of Greenland from his point of view will always at least have something to do with this idea of making the United States larger, of acquiring a piece of land for the United States in his name to cement his political legacy.

He said Trump has developed a “fascination” with the Arctic. As a result, he has been nudging the US to build more icebreakers and become more active in the region. His “obsession” with Greenland “neatly fits into that”.

Wahden also added that the type of resource deposits involved in the Greenland Energy dispute, namely oil and gas, play a “significant role”, as do other natural resources such as rare earths, which are reportedly abundant in Greenland.

Unhinged Greenland posts

Earlier in August, Trump also posted an AI image of him that read, ‘Hello, Greenland!’

Truth Social post from 1 August 2026 shows Trump in the background holding the Greenland mountains with cloudy skies behind and houses in the foreground

In January, he was prolifically posting about Greenland on his Truth Social.

One of those posts declared that the US “needs Greenland for national security” and that it is “vital” for his Golden Dome missile defence system. Trump wanred that if the US doesn’t get it, “Russia or China will”.

AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

Then, on 20 January, Trump posted an AI-generated image showing himself, JD Vance and Marco Rubio planting an American flag in Greenland next to a sign that reads ‘Greenland—U.S. Territory. Est. 2026’.

Screenshot of the Truth Social post described in the article

It is not a shocker that Trump and his cronies are bringing in authorised drilling equipment into Greenland, as their ambitions seem far more colonial and territorial.

Featured image via Truth Social

By The Canary

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Trump-linked firm brings unpermitted drilling equipment to Greenland.

Greenland has issued a strong warning to a US oil company that maybe has ties to Donald Trump after it brought drilling equipment ashore without approval. The Texas-based firm, Greenland Energy, landed machinery on the eastern coast last month for exploratory drilling but failed to coordinate with local authorities as required. The company, founded last year and whose chief executive reportedly has privileged access to Trump’s inner circle, has announced plans to spend $60 million on exploration. Complicating delicate trilateral negotiations  Lukas Wahden, an associate fellow at George Washington University, told France 24 that even though trilateral talks between Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, are already underway, this move  is likely to have “stepped on a number of toes and created a political scandal”. He added:  The issue that caused political controversy last week is that the US company Greenland Energy didn’t coordinate with the relevant Greenlandic authorities in its disembarking of equipment for the exploration that is planned in East Greenland. He said there are “alleged links” between the company’s leadership and the Trump administration, with the CEO reportedly enjoying “privileged access” to Trump’s wider circle. However, he stressed it remains a private company operating on commercial motives, not a state-directed entity. Greenland ‘obsession’ – oil and rare earths Wahden added that Trump has also admitted to being interested in expanding US national territory as a means to “cement his political legacy” and to ward off competition in the Arctic with China and Russia. He said: Mr. Trump has also admitted to being interested in a potential expansion of the US’s national territory as a means to cement his political legacy. And I do believe that the potential or desired acquisition of Greenland from his point of view will always at least have something to do with this idea of making the United States larger, of acquiring a piece of land for the United States in his name to cement his political legacy. He said Trump has developed a “fascination” with the Arctic. As a result, he has been nudging the US to build more icebreakers and become more active in the region. His “obsession” with Greenland “neatly fits into that”. Wahden also added that the type of resource deposits involved in the Greenland Energy dispute, namely oil and gas, play a “significant role”, as do other natural resources such as rare earths, which are reportedly abundant in Greenland. Unhinged Greenland posts Earlier in August, Trump also posted an AI image of him that read, ‘Hello, Greenland!’ In January, he was prolifically posting about Greenland on his Truth Social. One of those posts declared that the US “needs Greenland for national security” and that it is “vital” for his Golden Dome missile defence system. Trump wanred that if the US doesn’t get it, “Russia or China will”. AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! Then, on 20 January, Trump posted an AI-generated image showing himself, JD Vance and Marco Rubio planting an American flag in Greenland next to a sign that reads ‘Greenland—U.S. Territory. Est. 2026’. It is not a shocker that Trump and his cronies are bringing in authorised drilling equipment into Greenland, as their ambitions seem far more colonial and territorial. Featured image via Truth Social By The Canary

AI checkers give a likelihood, not proof.

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