Five Eyes alliance urged to forge ties with Greenland to secure minerals

Aerial view of the Kringlerne rare earth deposit, where the project is lead by Australian mining company Tanbreez, near the town of Narsaq in southern Greenland, in this undated 2012 handout photo. (Hans Kristian Schonwandt/Handout via REUTERS)
LONDON (Reuters) – The intelligence sharing alliance known as Five Eyes should forge ties with Greenland to boost supplies of critical minerals and cut dependence on China, a think tank said on Thursday.

Greenland has huge deposits of rare earths, a set of 17 minerals used in a myriad of applications from electric vehicles to defence goods, a report by the London-based Polar Research and Policy Initiative said.

China controls about 90 per cent of the supply of rare earths.

The Five Eyes grouping of Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, should expand its framework to include “resource intelligence, technical collaboration, major project financing and supply chain integration for minerals and materials critically important to national and economic security”, the report said.

It is natural for the Five Eyes to target Greenland for its mining and rare earth potential because two thirds of the 41 licence holders in Greenland’s mining sector were linked to Britain, Canada and Australia, the report added.

“Greenland’s vast critical minerals reserves and the sheer number of British, Canadian and Australian companies operating in Greenland make it a new frontier for Five Eyes,” said the report, made available to Reuters ahead of its release on Friday.

A view shows exploration drilling at the the Kringlerne rare earth deposit, where the project is lead by Australian mining company Tanbreez, near the town of Narsaq in southern Greenland, in this undated 2010 handout photo. (Tanbreez CEO Greg Barnes/Handout via)

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration said last month it will review key U.S. supplies, including rare earths, to ensure other countries cannot weaponise them against the United States.

Two Australia-based mining companies are racing for approval for mines in Greenland to dig into what the U.S. Geological Survey calls the world’s biggest undeveloped deposits of rare earth metals.

“The U.K., Canada and Australia have remained relevant to Greenland over recent decades as home to some of the world’s leading clusters of energy and mining expertise,” the report said.

The head of the think tank, Dwayne Menezes, is also the director of the secretariat of Britain’s all-party parliamentary group for Greenland.

7 thoughts on “Five Eyes alliance urged to forge ties with Greenland to secure minerals

  • Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 16:12
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    Fantastic information …The intelligence sharing alliance known as Five Eyes should forge ties with Greenland to boost supplies of critical minerals and cut … and materials critically important to national and economic security”, the report says truth may be..

    Reply
  • Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 16:14
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    oh my god its such a great article…when i was read it to excited…As far as i know that happen Greenland understandably features little in foreign policy discussions on our … along with the other members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, … Govt urged to move fast on…this is the way of society

    Reply
  • Sunday, September 26, 2021 at 01:38
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    As the Arctic ice continues to melt due to global warming, Greenland’s mineral and energy resources – including iron ore, lead, zinc, diamonds, gold, rare earth elements, uranium and oil – are becoming more accessible. This will be no easy task, and it is made more difficult by Greenland’s rapidly aging population

    Reply
  • Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 02:14
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    Greenland has signed on to a multi-billion-euro European Union effort to promote mining projects that will help the bloc secure supplies of 30 strategic raw materials that today come from a select handful of often adversarial countries outside Europe.

    Reply
  • Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 05:47
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    The intelligence sharing alliance known as Five Eyes should forge ties with Greenland to boost supplies of critical minerals and cut dependence on China, a think tank said on Thursday.Go through this to know more about the above article TVTAP PRO APK

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  • Friday, February 24, 2023 at 07:58
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    Greenland is a large island located in the North Atlantic Ocean and is a territory of Denmark. The island has a significant amount of natural resources, including minerals such as iron, zinc, copper, gold, and rare earth elements.

    Reply
  • Friday, February 24, 2023 at 07:59
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    In recent years, there has been an increased interest in Greenland’s mineral resources due to the growing demand for these materials in various industries, including renewable energy, electric vehicles, and electronics. As a result, some countries, including China and the United States, have expressed interest in securing access to Greenland’s minerals.

    Greenland’s government has been exploring ways to develop its mineral resources while balancing environmental concerns and the interests of its citizens. In 2013, Greenland passed a Mineral Resources Act to regulate the exploration and exploitation of its mineral resources, which includes provisions for environmental protection, community involvement, and the sharing of profits with the local population.

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