Trump Urges UK to Drill More Oil in North Sea: "An Incredible Asset"

"Stop Ruining the Countryside with Wind Turbines and Solar Panels"
UK: "We Will Not Rely on Oil-Producing Countries or Dictators for Energy"

President Donald Trump of the United States has once again criticized the United Kingdom for not extracting enough oil from the North Sea.

According to the New York Times and Bloomberg News, President Trump, in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on the 23rd (local time), argued that countries are losing their strong advantages in oil and gas, stating, "Self-destructive ideas about immigration and energy will be the death of Western Europe."

He specifically cited the North Sea as an example, saying, "There is an enormous amount of oil, and more importantly, there is oil that has not yet been discovered," and emphasized, "What an incredible asset this is for the United Kingdom."

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

In contrast to President Trump’s emphasis on oil development, the United Kingdom is currently working to transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy, promoting wind and nuclear power. The UK also imposes some of the highest taxes in the world on oil companies. In response, President Trump said, "I want to stop seeing them ruin the beautiful countryside of Scotland and England with wind turbines and massive solar panels."

On the other hand, the United Kingdom continues to stress the importance of clean energy and maintains its policy direction. Ed Miliband, the UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, told Bloomberg TV, "It is well known that President Trump opposes wind power and is passionate about fossil fuels," adding, "As the elected government of the United Kingdom, we have our own mission." He stated, "Our government’s policy is not to issue new exploration licenses in the North Sea," emphasizing that this is to address the climate crisis and to secure domestic energy-renewable energy and nuclear power-so that the UK does not have to rely on oil-producing countries or dictators for its energy needs.

Meanwhile, since the mid-2000s, oil and gas production in the North Sea has declined sharply. The North Sea’s oil production exceeded 1 million barrels per day five years ago, but last year it fell to 653,000 barrels per day.