WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has occasionally talked to colleagues about buying Greenland, according to media reports.

The Wall Street Journal first reported Thursday that people familiar with discussions said Trump on multiple occasions raised the idea of buying Greenland from Denmark during meetings and dinners. He reportedly "listened with interest when they discuss its abundant resources and geopolitical importance," according to the Journal. The White House counsel was asked to research the possibility, the Journal reported.

However, the president was reportedly not serious about the idea, the Associated Press reported Thursday. The Journal likewise reported that Trump's interest in the strategically important island has been characterized by "varying degrees of seriousness."

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The U.S. reportedly proposed buying Greenland from Denmark in 1946 for $100 million, the AP and the Journal both reported.

The White House did not respond to request for comment from USA TODAY.

Contributing: John Fritze

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