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President Donald Trump has discussed the prospect of purchasing Greenland, the world’s largest island, on multiple occasions, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
The Journal, citing people familiar with the deliberations, said Trump has “repeatedly expressed interest” in buying Greenland with “varying degrees of seriousness.”
Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, is between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans and has a population of roughly 56,000. Its government has authority over local matters, while Denmark handles issues related to foreign policy.
With the Arctic increasingly mentioned in discussions about national security, Greenland is in a vital geopolitical location. Greenland is also at the center of discussions on the globe’s climate crisis.
Trump has discussed with advisers the notion of buying Greenland, questioning whether it would be feasible, and asked White House counsel Pat Cipollone to delve into the topic, according to The Journal.
Some advisers have responded enthusiastically to Trump’s interest in purchasing Greenland, which is the site of the US military’s northernmost base (Thule Air Base), while others have seemingly scoffed at the idea, according to The Journal’s report.
The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from INSIDER. The Journal also said it made inquiries with the Danish government and did not receive a response.
Trump is set to make his first presidential visit to Denmark in September, though the report said the trip was “unrelated” to the president’s ambition to purchase Denmark.
The US has bought territory from other countries in the past, including Alaska from Russia in 1867.
If The Journal’s report is accurate, Trump is also not the first president to express interest in acquiring Greenland. Not long after the cessation of World War II, former President Harry Truman in 1946 offered Denmark $100 million in gold for Greenland, but it refused to sell. At the time, Truman, military leaders, and members of Congress saw Greenland as an important geopolitical location and “a military necessity.”
