Mayur MohtaUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio hints at joint rare earth mining in Greenland. This comes right after Washington signed a new deal with local authorities.
Rubio Opens Door To Rare Earth Cooperation
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has hinted at joint rare earth mineral mining in Greenland. He linked this possibility directly to a fresh deal reached with the island’s local authorities.
The United States, Denmark and Greenland signed an agreement on September 22. That deal expands America’s military footprint on the island.
What Rubio Told Fox News
Speaking to Fox News, Rubio was asked if the US now has a real shot at tapping Greenland’s rich rare earth reserves. He responded clearly and confidently.
“Of course, we will do this in partnership with them,” Rubio said.
The secretary stressed that rare earth mining wasn’t originally a top US priority. However, he noted the new deal changes that picture entirely.
“Now that this deal is behind us, I think we have an opportunity to make good investments there,” Rubio added.
Greenland’s Untapped Mineral Wealth
Greenland sits on massive mineral wealth that few countries can match. Denmark and Greenland’s joint geological survey, GEUS, has identified 24 of 34 raw materials. These materials appear on the European Union’s critical materials list.
Many of these mineral deposits still need proper volume assessments. Exploration teams haven’t fully mapped out everything Greenland holds underground.
Still, extracting these resources won’t be simple or quick. Greenland’s harsh natural conditions create major hurdles for any mining operation. The island also lacks the infrastructure needed to support large scale extraction work.
Pratik Agrawal
Aditya Didwaniya
Akshay Didwaniya
