Greenland not for sale

QULUSUK, Denmark (AFP) — Greenland is not for sale, local authorities said Friday, after a newspaper reported that US President Donald Trump is looking into whether it might be possible for the United States to buy the mineral-rich Arctic island.

Trump has expressed interest in the self-governing part of Denmark — which is mostly covered in ice, — asking advisors if it is possible for the US to acquire the territory, The Wall Street Journal said Thursday, citing people familiar with the discussions.

The president, a former real estate magnate, has been curious about the area’s natural resources and geopolitical relevance, the paper reported.

Greenland is a self-governing region of Denmark, which colonized the 772,000 square-mile (two-million square kilometer) island in the 18th century, and is home to only about 57,000 people, most of whom belong to the indigenous Inuit community.

There has been no official comment from the White House, and the Danish embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

Greenland’s ministry of foreign affairs insisted the island was ready to talk business, but was not for sale.

“#Greenland is rich in valuable resources such as minerals, the purest water and ice, fish stocks, seafood, renewable energy and is a new frontier for adventure tourism,” it tweeted.

Greenland’s ministry of foreign affairs insisted the island was ready to talk business, but was not for sale.