The Danish government announced a significant increase in defense spending in Greenland, hours after US President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his desire to purchase the Arctic territory.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the program was worth “billions of dollars” in krona, or at least $1.5 billion (£1.2 billion).

He described the timing of the announcement as an “irony of fate.” Trump said on Monday that ownership and control of the massive island was “absolutely necessary” for the United States.

Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is home to a large U.S. space facility and is of strategic importance to the United States and is located on the shortest route to Europe. It has significant mineral and oil reserves.

Poulsen said the plan would allow for the purchase of two new inspection vessels, two new long-range drones and two additional dog sled teams.

It will also include funding for additional staffing at the Arctic Command in the capital, Nuuk, and upgrading one of Greenland’s three main civilian airports to handle F-35 supersonic fighter jets.

“We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years and now we are planning to increase our presence,” he said.

The defense minister did not give a specific figure for the program, but Danish media estimated it at around 12-15 billion kronor.

Just one day before the announcement, Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social: “For the sake of national security and freedom around the world, the United States of America believes it is absolutely necessary to own and control Greenland.”

Greenland Prime Minister Mutt Egede responds to Trump’s remarkssaying “We are not selling”.

But he added that Greenlanders should continue to be open to cooperation and trade, especially with neighboring countries.

Analysts said the plan had been discussed for a long time and should not be viewed as a direct response to Trump’s comments.

Denmark has so far been very slow to expand its military capabilities in Greenland, but if the country fails to protect the waters around the territory from Chinese and Russian encroachments, U.S. demands for greater control could increase, they said.

Steen Kelgaard, an Army major at the Danish Defense Academy, said Trump may be interested in putting pressure on Denmark to take this step.

“This may have been triggered by Trump’s renewed focus on the need for air and sea control around Greenland, as well as developments within Greenland, some of which have expressed a desire to set their sights on the US – a new international airport in Nuuk It’s just been completed,” he told the BBC.

“I think Trump is smart… by raising his voice to get Denmark to prioritize its Arctic military capabilities without having to take over a very un-American welfare system,” he said, referring to Greenland’s heavy reliance on subsidies from Copenhagen.

Trump’s initial proposal in 2019 for the United States to acquire Greenland, the world’s largest island, was also roundly condemned by leaders there.

At the time, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the idea “ridiculous” and the leader Trump cancels state visit to country.

He is not the first US president to suggest buying Greenland. The idea was first proposed in the 1860s during the presidency of Andrew Johnson.