US President Donald Trump is aiming to put his mark on the world map by buying Greenland for the US. (Photo: Reuters)

Aiming to put his mark on the world map, President Donald Trump has talked to aides and allies about buying Greenland for the US.

A Trump ally told The Associated Press on Thursday that the president had discussed the purchase but was not serious about it. The ally spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Still, it wouldn’t be the first time an American leader tried to buy the world’s largest island, an autonomous territory of Denmark.

In 1946, the US proposed to pay Denmark $100 million to buy Greenland after flirting with the idea of swapping land in Alaska for strategic parts of the Arctic island.

Neither the White House nor Denmark immediately commented on Thursday.

The story was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.