US President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed that his administration looked into the prospect of buying Greenland from Denmark, saying the area was "strategically" interesting.

"It's something we talked about," Trump told reporters. "The concept came up and I said certainly, strategically it's interesting and we'd be interested, but we'll talk to (Denmark) a little bit," he said. But Trump said it was not a priority for his administration.

Read more: Greenland tells Trump: 'We're not for sale'

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Trump had expressed interest in the island and asked advisers if it would be possible for the US to acquire the territory.

The president, a former real estate magnate, has been curious about the area's natural resources and geopolitical relevance, the paper said. The US military has operated for decades from Thule Air Base in Greenland. The northern-most US base is part of the military's global network of radars and other sensors to provide ballistic missile warning and space surveillance.

This is Greenland: the world's largest island Record holder Greenland holds a number of world records. It is the world's largest island, the least densely populated territory on Earth, and home to the only permanent ice sheet outside Antarctica. Most of its 56,000 residents are Inuit, descendants of those who migrated there from what is now Canada in the 13th century.

This is Greenland: the world's largest island Home rule Greenland was granted home rule by Denmark in 1979. In 2008, Greenlanders voted in favor of an act that granted their government even more power. Before being a Danish territory, Greenland has also been under the Norwegian crown, and was even briefly claimed by Portuguese explorers in 1499.

This is Greenland: the world's largest island The North Pole Seen here in the capital, Nuuk, where about one third of Greenlanders live, is "Santa's mailbox." Thousands of letters addressed to St.Nicolas were delivered here every around Christmas each year. Some volunteers even sent handwritten responses to as many children as they could, until the mailbox was forced to close in 2018.

This is Greenland: the world's largest island Melting ice Greenlanders were among the first to feel the affects of climate change, both from rising sea levels and melting arctic ice. Recently, scientists recorded a massive ice melt on the island that hadn't been predicted to occur until 2070. If the all of Greenland's ice disappears, sea levels will rise 23 feet, destroying massive amounts of coastal areas worldwide.

This is Greenland: the world's largest island The mighty muskox A sign in Greenland warns travels to be aware of passing muskoxen, famous for the intense odor sometimes by males. They are native only to Greenland, northern Canada, and Alaska. After centuries of declining populations due to overhunting, muskoxen have recently been making a comeback due to new hunting restrictions.

This is Greenland: the world's largest island Tens of thousands of seals killed annually Much of Greenland's economy is dependent on fishing. One controversial form of fishing that is still allowed is seal hunting, often done by shooting seals that are sitting on ice sheets. Although it is widely accepted that the killing of seals could lead to extinction and other disasters for the ecosystem, some rural Greelanders entirely depend on hunting seals for their livelihood.

This is Greenland: the world's largest island Alternative transportation In some parts of Greenland, there are no roads, and locals must use dog sleds to get from village to village or to the sea. Snowmobiles must be important and are too expensive for many villagers. Author: Elizabeth Schumacher



'Not for sale'

When asked if he would consider trading a US territory for Greenland, Trump replied that "a lot of things could be done."

"Essentially, it's a large real estate deal," he said. The US president's comments come after both Denmark and Greenland repeatedly stressed the territory is not for sale.

"Greenland is not for sale," the Arctic territory's government said in response to the report last week. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, speaking during a planned trip to Greenland, stressed the point again during her visit.

"Greenland is not Danish. Greenland is Greenlandic. I consistently hope that this is not seriously meant," Frederiksen told reporters when asked about the prospects for purchase, according to local daily Sermitsiaq.

"It's an absurd discussion, and Greenland Premier Kim Kielsen has of course made it clear that Greenland is not for sale, and it ends now," she told Danish public broadcaster DR.

Not the first time

Denmark colonized the 772,000 square-mile (2 million square kilometers) island in the 18th century. It is home to only about 57,000 people, most of whom belong to the indigenous Inuit community.

The icy and frigid territory between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans is now mostly self-ruled, though Denmark remains in charge of foreign affairs, defense and monetary policy.

This is not the first time the US has expressed interest in buying Greenland. Washington wanted to buy the island before, but was rebuffed by Denmark.

sri/ng (dpa, AFP)

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