Trump’s Greenland bid draws focus to rare earths mining possibilities

Greenland’s rare earths could play a role in a deal to give the United States greater access to the territory, but extracting those elements could present significant challenges.

President Donald Trump last week announced that a framework for a deal regarding acquiring Greenland had been agreed upon with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

The president has argued that the U.S. must purchase Greenland as it is vital for the Golden Dome missile defense system, but the territory is also home to rare earth elements that the U.S. has been seeking to secure. Rare earth elements are critical to a range of energy and defense technology applications, but China dominates the supply and has used that as leverage against the U.S. and others.

In an interview on CNBC,