Washington | US President Donald Trump reportedly had a “serious” conversation about the idea of purchasing Greenland, during dinners and meetings with advisers.
Greenland is an autonomous Danish territory, located between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans.
It has a population of about 56,000 and most of the island is covered in thick ice.
Trump has reportedly taken an interest in Greenland, in part, because of its natural resources, such as coal, zinc, copper and iron ore.
However, the second-largest island after Australia is relying on Denmark for most of its revenue.
A Republican Representative Mike Gallagher has described Mr Trump’s reported idea as a “smart geopolitical move”.
“The United States has a compelling strategic interest in Greenland, and this should absolutely be on the table,” he tweeted.
This is not the first time someone has purchased land. A BBC report says, “Historically, countries have acquired territory not only through military conquest but also financial deals”.
What does Greenland think?
Their foreign ministry is not open to the possibility.
“Greenland is rich invaluable resources such as minerals, the purest water and ice, fish stocks, seafood, renewable energy and is a new frontier for adventure tourism. We’re open for business, not for sale,” it said in a statement shared on social media.
MPs in Denmark have quickly retorted to the offer, some even calling Donald Trump “mad”.
“If he is truly contemplating this, then this is final proof, that he has gone mad,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said on their national television.
“The thought of Denmark selling 50,000 citizens to the United States is completely ridiculous,” he said.
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