Trump Urges UK to Increase North Sea Oil Extraction: 'Don't Pay Norway Three Times as Much'

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has urged the United Kingdom's new prime minister to boost oil and gas production in the North Sea, suggesting it would lead to national wealth. Trump specifically advised Prime Minister Andy Burnham to "open up for more oil in the North Sea," stating, "If you do it in a good way, you will become a rich country."

Trump drew a comparison to Norway, which he noted has trillions of kroner saved from oil revenues. "You don't need to pay Norway three times as much as it costs them to extract the oil. You have your own oil," Trump told the British TV channel GB News during a press conference at the White House.

According to The Guardian, Burnham has been asked by the oil industry to permit the development of the undeveloped Rosebank oil and gas field west of Shetland, a project partly operated by Equinor. Simultaneously, environmental groups and several Labour Members of Parliament have urged him not to allow new extraction.

Prime Minister Burnham has not yet publicly stated his plans for North Sea oil and gas extraction, but an announcement is expected at a later date. The decision will likely balance economic interests with environmental concerns.