$100 Million: That’s how much President Harry Truman offered Denmark to purchase Greenland back in 1946, a deal the Danes turned down. According to a Wall Street Journal report Thursday, President Trump has recently expressed interest in acquiring the autonomous Danish territory, which despite being the world’s largest island (Australia doesn’t qualify because it’s a continent) has a population of only about 56,000.
“In meetings, at dinners and in passing conversations, Mr. Trump has asked advisers whether the U.S. can acquire Greenland, listened with interest when they discuss its abundant resources and geopolitical importance,” the Journal said. Although it’s not entirely clear that the president’s interest extends beyond dinner-table banter, White House aides are reportedly looking into the matter.
The report of Trump’s interest was enough to prompt a response Friday from Greenland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which threw cold water on the idea, tweeting that the island is “open for business, not for sale.”
