While the act of selling seal skins is prohibited in Europe and the USA, an American company is trying to change that in order to appease locals in Greenland and gain permission to drill in on their shores.

After being told "No" once again by Greenland in relation to drilling on their shores, an American oil company, with connections to President Donald Trump, has suggested a way to try and convince them.

Greenland Energy, a Texas-based company only set up in 2025, had already moved machinery and shipping containers ashore in Jameson Land without valid regulatory approvals, and were issued a stern warning by the Greenland government.

The company alleges that there could be up to $1 trillion worth of crude oil lying beneath Jameson Land, but Greenland stopped issuing new oil licenses in 2021, but grandfathered older active licenses.

The Pat Kenny Show was speaking to Ilya Gridneff, Canada correspondent for The Financial Times, about the tariff battle between Canada and the USA, and the topic of Greenland Energy's suggested solution to the drilling problem came up.

They're suggesting embarking on what's been dubbed as, "sealskin diplomacy" that would see the US and Europe start purchasing the skins which the locals in Greenland just discard.

However, the practice is outlawed in Europe and has been banned in the US since the 1970s.

Mr Gridneff explained: "So Greenland, the small semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has long been sort of in the focus of President Trump and caused international outrage, diplomatic outrage, and also concerns from locals who claim their own sovereignty.

"They don't want to be taken over by the US. For years, though, various companies, mineral companies, oil companies, etc, have sought their riches in this far-off Arctic land. Not many have found much in return. So that's kind of one of the challenges there. It's incredibly inhospitable conditions.

"But one US company with various links to the US president, has suggested that a way to win the hearts and minds of local Greenlanders is to harness the seal fur skins that local hunters basically throw away every year because there's no market.

"The EU has banned the trade of seal skin and similarly with the US since the 1970s. So this oil company has come up with an idea that perhaps we can open up our markets to buy the seal skins and we'll be the best friends of Greenland."

Greenland Energy features key figures on its board and leadership team with close ties to President Trump's political circle, and he even shared a generated image featuring him overlooking Greenland and saying "Hello" when the company's equipment landed on Greenland's shores.

Main image: A split of Trump and Greenland. Pictures by: Alamy.com