Donald Trump has scrapped his meeting with the Danish prime minister after his suggestion of buying Greenland was categorically rejected.

The US president, who had floated the idea of buying the semi-autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic, had been set to visit Denmark early next month.

But after Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called Mr Trump's musing "an absurd discussion", he decided to postpone the meeting.

"Denmark is a very special country with incredible people, but based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time," he tweeted.

"The Prime Minister was able to save a great deal of expense and effort for both the United States and Denmark by being so direct. I thank her for that and look forward to rescheduling sometime in the future!"