U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that the Trump administration's primary concern regarding Greenland is national security, not the development of local rare earth or energy resources.

Donald Trump has long sought to gain influence over Greenland. Since his return to the White House, the U.S. government has been in discussions about developing the island's largely untapped mineral resources. However, Wright emphasized on Tuesday that these efforts are a secondary objective, aimed at providing greater economic opportunities for local residents as the United States seeks to expand its military presence in Greenland.

Speaking at a conference hosted by the French Institute of International Relations in Paris, Wright said, "We can mine rare earth metals and produce oil and gas in many places. That might make life better for the people of Greenland; our interest is in national security."

Recently, the Trump administration has shifted its focus from mining to the downstream processing of rare earths—a step widely seen as a critical bottleneck for establishing viable alternative supply chains.

Wright commented, "'Rare earth elements' is a terrible name because they are everywhere; they are not rare at all. There are clearly much more suitable places to mine them."