Donald Trump calls off meeting with Danish prime minister over her refusal to sell Greenland to the United States

It was first reported last week that the US president had expressed an interest in the self-governing part of Denmark

But Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rebuffed his advances, labelling any discussion of a sale as ‘absurd’

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US President Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:09am, 21 Aug 2019Updated: 12:04pm, 21 Aug 2019

President Donald Trump says he has postponed a planned meeting with Denmark’s prime minister because of her lack of interest in selling Greenland to the United States.

The announcement confirms just how interested he was in purchasing Greenland, an idea that had initially been dismissed as a joke by some, but which the White House later insisted had a serious purpose because of the territory’s strategic location.

“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,” Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

“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!”

It was first reported last week that Trump had expressed an interest in the self-governing part of Denmark – which is mostly covered in ice – asking advisers if it would be possible for the US to acquire the territory.