Trump-Linked Firm Joins Billion-Dollar Greenland Dispute

Maria van der Vliet

Writer

January 23, 2026
10:08 am

An Australian mining company locked in a billion-dollar legal battle with Greenland has hired a powerful American consulting firm with direct ties to the Trump administration. Energy Transition Minerals aims to strengthen its position as a supplier of critical minerals highly sought after in the United States.

Mining Company Turns to American Consultants

Energy Transition Minerals (ETM), an Australian mining company, has engaged Ballard Partners, an American consulting firm with connections to Donald Trump’s administration. The company is currently in a legal dispute with Greenland’s government, Naalakkersuisut, after authorities refused to grant the mining company an extraction permit in southern Greenland.

With Donald Trump’s stated interest in Greenland and critical minerals, having this particular consulting firm on their side could prove advantageous for ETM. According to Per Nikolaj Bukh, a professor of economic management at Aalborg University, the United States may have an interest in extracting rare earth elements, which could put pressure on the Greenland government from American interests.

Strategic Partnerships With Trump Administration Ties

According to a stock exchange announcement from early January, Ballard Partners will help improve ETM’s position as an emerging supplier of critical minerals in high demand in the United States. Additionally, the consultants are tasked with protecting and advancing the company’s strategic interests. This move is also part of the company’s effort to get listed on the American stock exchange, Nasdaq.

Looking closer at the consulting firm reveals significant connections to the American administration. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi previously worked at Ballard Partners. The same applies to the White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles.

The firm’s client list is equally impressive, including Netflix, investment bank J.P. Morgan Chase, and oil company Chevron. Media outlet Politico has reported that Ballard Partners has earned significantly more money since the Biden administration left office and Trump returned to power.

Banking Support for U.S. Expansion

ETM has also hired investment bank Cohen & Company Capital Markets. The bank will assist the company in getting listed in the United States. In a December stock exchange announcement, Daniel Mamadou, managing director of Energy Transition Minerals, stated that the company’s strategy for developing Kvanefjeld is completely aligned with Western geopolitical initiatives. Because the United States is primarily driving this effort, it makes sense to be listed on Nasdaq and gain access to the right investors.

The Background of the Billion-Dollar Dispute

In 2021, a newly elected government in Greenland changed the country’s legislation, effectively blocking ETM from implementing a mining project at Kuannersuit, known as Kvanefjeld in Danish. Energy Transition Minerals has held a license to explore mining possibilities at Kuannersuit since 2007. The site contains large quantities of rare and valuable earth metals, but also radioactive substances like uranium and thorium.

In 2019, the Australian mining company applied for permission to extract rare earth elements, zinc, and uranium at Kuannersuit. However, after the 2021 election in Greenland, the country’s politicians passed a new law prohibiting the exploration, prospecting, and exploitation of uranium in Greenland. Greenland’s authorities point to this law as the reason the Australian company cannot receive an extraction permit.

Massive Compensation Claim at Stake

According to the mining company, the case could develop into a compensation claim of 76 billion kroner if they are not allowed to realize their plans. The case is now proceeding through the courts and will go before Greenland’s High Court, though no date has been set yet.

Expert Views on the Strategy

Another expert with extensive knowledge of mining operations suggests the consulting firm agreement should not be viewed solely through the lens of U.S. interest in Greenland and ETM’s lawsuit against Greenland. Flemming Getreuer Christiansen, currently a consultant and former deputy director at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), believes ETM will not gain any advantages in the lawsuit against Greenland, but that it specifically concerns attracting new investments in the long term.

Christiansen points out that the company has also invested in a mining project in Spain and is exploring extraction possibilities in Canada. Therefore, one could imagine that if they want to move forward with some of these projects, they need to secure new financing.

Trend Toward American Investment

According to Flemming Getreuer Christiansen, it is a trend that smaller mining companies have started turning their attention to the United States. Many smaller companies have realized that if they get listed on Nasdaq or maintain close contact with the United States, it may be easier to obtain large, favorable loans from American investment banks and sales agreements.

The United States itself has also begun investing large sums in the country’s own mining operations. This summer, the U.S. Department of Defense invested in American company MP Materials, which handles both mining and processing of raw materials, becoming the company’s largest shareholder.

Previous Danish Political Connections

A few months ago, ETM hired former Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod and former top diplomat Friis Arne Petersen for advisory positions. This move came as the company continued its legal battle against Greenland’s government.

Per Nikolaj Bukh notes that mining companies do not necessarily need to be listed on the American stock exchange to access new American investments. For a mining company, it is very natural to be listed on the Australian stock exchange, where most mining companies trade. There is nothing wrong with that, and it is not easier to invest in the United States than in Australia, he explains.

Meanwhile, the case continues through Greenland’s legal system, with significant financial implications for both the mining company and Greenland’s government hanging in the balance.