Greenland's government has issued a "strong warning" to Texas-based company Greenland Energy after it reportedly offloaded drilling equipment onto the Arctic island without authorization. The incident has drawn criticism and raised questions about the company's intentions, particularly given its links to former President Donald Trump.
According to reports, Greenland Energy representatives informed locals during a community meeting in June that they had permission to land approximately 300 shipping containers of equipment. However, the company later clarified that it did not possess the necessary permits for such an action. Despite this, the company was observed delivering about 15 containers via tugboat, as documented by the Danish investigative outlet Danwatch.
Jørgen Hammeken-Holm, head of Greenland’s Ministry of Mineral Resources, stated that the company was not permitted to unload "anything whatsoever." Greenland had previously halted plans to issue permits for new oil projects in 2021. Greenland Energy, however, partnered with a United Kingdom-based company that had secured oil exploration licenses before the ban.
MS NOW host Rachel Maddow highlighted the situation, suggesting the company's actions, coupled with public statements and associations, could be perceived as an attempt to exert influence over the semiautonomous Danish territory, which Trump has previously expressed interest in annexing. Maddow noted that a board member of Greenland Energy, Carol Craig, is associated with Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense program. Another board member, Larry G. Swets Jr., reportedly has a business partnership with a billionaire who contributed significantly to Trump's White House efforts. Swets has maintained that the oil project is "not related to American annexation."
Phil McGraw, known as Dr. Phil, has also been linked to the company, set to host a docuseries on its Arctic energy initiative. Maddow drew a parallel between this involvement and McGraw's previous participation in an immigration raid, questioning the nature of the company's approach to Greenland.