<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiananmen-square-style-crackdown-in-hong-kong-would-harm-trade-deal-with-china-donald-trump-243953">US President Donald Trump</a> on Sunday confirmed his interest in buying Greenland, but said it was not a priority for his administration.

"It's something we talked about," Trump told reporters.

"The concept came up and I said certainly, strategically it's interesting and we'd be interested, but we'll talk to (Denmark) a little bit," he said, stressing that it was "not number one on the burner" for the government.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Trump had expressed interest in the self-governing part of Denmark -- which is mostly covered in ice -- asking advisors if it would be possible for the US to acquire the territory.

The president, a former real estate magnate, has been curious about the area's natural resources and geopolitical relevance, the paper said.

When asked if he would consider trading a US territory for Greenland, Trump replied that "a lot of things could be done."

"Essentially, it's a large real estate deal," he said.

"It's hurting Denmark very badly because they're losing almost $700 million a year carrying it... and strategically, for the United States, it would be nice," he added.

Denmark colonized the two-million square kilometre&nbsp;island in the 18th century. It is home to only about 57,000 people, most of whom belong to the indigenous Inuit community.

Greenland's ministry of foreign affairs insisted Friday the island was ready to talk business, but was not for sale.&nbsp;

"#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.&nbsp;

"We're open for business, not for sale," it added.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed his interest in buying Greenland, but said it was not a priority for his administration. "It's something we talked about," Trump told reporters.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed his interest in buying Greenland, but said it was not a priority for his administration. "It's something we talked about," Trump told reporters. "The concept came up and I said certainly, strategically it's interesting and we'd be interested, but we'll talk to (Denmark) a little bit," he said, stressing that it was "not number one on the burner" for the government. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Trump had expressed interest in the self-governing part of Denmark -- which is mostly covered in ice -- asking advisors if it would be possible for the US to acquire the territory. The president, a former real estate magnate, has been curious about the area's natural resources and geopolitical relevance, the paper said. When asked if he would consider trading a US territory for Greenland, Trump replied that "a lot of things could be done." "Essentially, it's a large real estate deal," he said. "It's hurting Denmark very badly because they're losing almost $700 million a year carrying it... and strategically, for the United States, it would be nice," he added. Denmark colonized the two-million square kilometre island in the 18th century. It is home to only about 57,000 people, most of whom belong to the indigenous Inuit community. Greenland's ministry of foreign affairs insisted Friday 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. "We're open for business, not for sale," it added.

US President Donald Trump confirms interest in buying Greenland

Greenland dismissed the notion that it might be up for sale after reports that US President Donald Trump had privately discussed with his advisers the idea of buying the world's biggest island.

Greenland tells Trump it is open for business but not for sale

Greenland loses 10 billion tons of ice in 24 hours. Watch this video to know more.

Greenland loses 10 billion tons of ice in 24 hours

Greenland on Friday dismissed the notion that it might be up for sale after reports that US President Donald Trump had privately discussed with his advisers the idea of buying the world's biggest island.

"We are open for business, but we're not for sale," Greenland's foreign minister Ane Lone Bagger told Reuters.

Trump is due to visit Copenhagen in September and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russias-floating-nuclear-reactor-ready-for-arctic-operations-environmentalists-concerned-232605">Arctic will be on the agenda during meetings</a> with the prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.

Talk of a Greenland purchase was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.&nbsp;

Two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that the notion had been laughed off by some advisers as a joke but was taken more seriously by others in the White House.

Danish politicians on Friday poured scorn on the idea.

"It has to be an April Fool's joke. Totally out of season," former prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Twitter.

"If he is truly contemplating this, then this is final proof, that he has gone mad," foreign affairs spokesman for the Danish People's Party, Soren Espersen, told broadcaster DR.

"The thought of Denmark selling 50,000 citizens to the United States is completely ridiculous," he said.

Greenland, a self-ruling part of Denmark located between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans, is dependant on Danish economic support. It handles its domestic affairs while Copenhagen looks after defence and foreign policy.

"I am sure a majority in Greenland believes it is better to have a relation to Denmark than the United States, in the long term," Aaja Chemnitz Larsen, Danish MP from Greenland's second-largest party Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA), told Reuters.

"My immediate thought is 'No, thank you'," she said.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod were not available for comment but officials said they would respond later on Friday.

The US Embassy in Copenhagen was also not immediately available for comment.

"Oh dear lord. As someone who loves Greenland, has been there nine times to every corner and loves the people, this is a complete and total catastrophe," former US ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford, said in on Twitter.

Greenland is gaining attention from global superpowers including China, Russia, and the United States due to its strategic location and its mineral resources.

In May, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Russia was behaving aggressively in the Arctic and China's actions there had to be watched closely as well.

A defence treaty between Denmark and the United States dating back to 1951 gives the US military rights over the Thule Air Base in northern Greenland.

There has been no indication that a Greenland purchase will be on the agenda for Trump's talks with Danish officials.

Martin Lidegaard, the senior lawmaker of the Danish Social Liberal Party and a former foreign minister, called the idea "a grotesque proposal" which had no basis in reality.

"We are talking about real people and you can't just sell Greenland like an old colonial power," he told Reuters.

"But what we can take seriously is that the US stakes and interest in the Arctic is significantly on the rise and they want a much bigger influence," he added.

In 1917 Denmark sold off the then Danish West Indies islands for $25 million to the United States, which renamed them the United States Virgin Islands.

Greenland on Friday dismissed the notion that it might be up for sale after reports that US President Donald Trump had privately discussed with his advisers the idea of buying the world's biggest island.

Greenland on Friday dismissed the notion that it might be up for sale after reports that US President Donald Trump had privately discussed with his advisers the idea of buying the world's biggest island. "We are open for business, but we're not for sale," Greenland's foreign minister Ane Lone Bagger told Reuters. Trump is due to visit Copenhagen in September and the Arctic will be on the agenda during meetings with the prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. Talk of a Greenland purchase was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that the notion had been laughed off by some advisers as a joke but was taken more seriously by others in the White House. Danish politicians on Friday poured scorn on the idea. "It has to be an April Fool's joke. Totally out of season," former prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Twitter. "If he is truly contemplating this, then this is final proof, that he has gone mad," foreign affairs spokesman for the Danish People's Party, Soren Espersen, told broadcaster DR. "The thought of Denmark selling 50,000 citizens to the United States is completely ridiculous," he said. Greenland, a self-ruling part of Denmark located between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans, is dependant on Danish economic support. It handles its domestic affairs while Copenhagen looks after defence and foreign policy. "I am sure a majority in Greenland believes it is better to have a relation to Denmark than the United States, in the long term," Aaja Chemnitz Larsen, Danish MP from Greenland's second-largest party Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA), told Reuters. "My immediate thought is 'No, thank you'," she said. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod were not available for comment but officials said they would respond later on Friday. The US Embassy in Copenhagen was also not immediately available for comment. "Oh dear lord. As someone who loves Greenland, has been there nine times to every corner and loves the people, this is a complete and total catastrophe," former US ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford, said in on Twitter. Greenland is gaining attention from global superpowers including China, Russia, and the United States due to its strategic location and its mineral resources. In May, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Russia was behaving aggressively in the Arctic and China's actions there had to be watched closely as well. A defence treaty between Denmark and the United States dating back to 1951 gives the US military rights over the Thule Air Base in northern Greenland. There has been no indication that a Greenland purchase will be on the agenda for Trump's talks with Danish officials. Martin Lidegaard, the senior lawmaker of the Danish Social Liberal Party and a former foreign minister, called the idea "a grotesque proposal" which had no basis in reality. "We are talking about real people and you can't just sell Greenland like an old colonial power," he told Reuters. "But what we can take seriously is that the US stakes and interest in the Arctic is significantly on the rise and they want a much bigger influence," he added. In 1917 Denmark sold off the then Danish West Indies islands for $25 million to the United States, which renamed them the United States Virgin Islands.

Greenland tells US President Donald Trump it is open for business but not for sale

At dusk, tourists marvel at the sensational collapse of an iceberg at the end of its long journey from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/atmospheric-flow-now-going-to-transport-heat-towards-greenland-un-238653">Greenland to Canada's east coast</a>, which now has a front-row seat to the melting of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/alaska-heat-wave-shatters-citys-record-disrupts-jobs-and-lives-233451">Arctic's ice</a>.

While the rest of the world nervously eyes the impact of global warming, the calving of Greenland's glaciers the breaking off of ice chunks from its edge has breathed new life into the remote coastal villages of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Once a hub of cod fishing, the province now plays host to hordes of amateur photographers and tourists hoping to capture the epic ice melt for posterity. As winter ends, iceberg spotting begins.

"It keeps getting better every year," says Barry Strickland, a 58-year-old former fisherman who now takes tourists in his small boat around King's Point in the north of the province.&nbsp;

"We've got 135, 140 tour buses with older people coming into the town every season so it's great for the economy."

For the past four years, Strickland has taken visitors to bear witness to the death throes of these ice giants, which can measure dozens of meters in height and weigh hundreds of thousands of tons.&nbsp;

Winds and ocean currents bring the icebergs from northwest Greenland, thousands of kilometres (miles) away, to Canada's shores.&nbsp;

In a matter of weeks, ice frozen for thousands of years can quickly melt into the ocean.

'Incredible' rise in tourism&nbsp;

Strickland's boat excursions are often fully booked during the high season from May to July, with tourists coming from all around the world to King's Point, a village of just 600 inhabitants.

The villagers keep track of the icebergs on an interactive satellite tracking map put online by the provincial government.

"There's not much in these small outport towns anymore to keep people around, so tourism is a big part of our economy," said Devon Chaulk, who works in a souvenir shop in Elliston, a small town of 300 on "Iceberg Corridor," as the coastline is now known.

"I've lived here my entire life, and the increase in tourism around here in the past 10 to 15 years has been incredible. It's not surprising to have thousands of people here over the next couple of months," said the 28-year-old.&nbsp;

Last year, a total of 500,000 tourists visited Newfoundland and Labrador, a number roughly equivalent to the province's total population.&nbsp;

Those visitors spent nearly Can $570 million, government figures show.

Melting ice&nbsp;

The tourism boom has helped offset the decline in the region's traditional fishing industry, which is in crisis because of overfishing at the end of the last century.

Some are even marketing "iceberg water" as the purest on Earth and selling it as a high-end luxury item. The melt is also used in vodka, beer and cosmetics.&nbsp;

But beneath the shiny surface of economic success is the dark truth that the area is in part profiting from accelerated global warming in the Arctic and that the industry is precarious at best.

In the village of Twillingate, employees at the Auk Island Winery which makes its product from iceberg water and locally picked wild berries have already seen that business can be unpredictable.

"We see the difference in the number of tourists from year to year, depending on the number of icebergs in the area," says Elizabeth Gleason, who works at the winery.

"This year was a good year. Last year, we had almost none."

The Arctic is warming three times faster than the rest of the world. In mid-July, record temperatures were recorded near the North Pole.

In recent years, the icebergs have drifted further and further south, posing a threat to shipping on this busy route between Europe and North America.

For now, tourists are enjoying the view and the experience while they can.&nbsp;

"The prevalence of icebergs has good things and bad things about it," says Melissa Axtman, an American traveller.

Laurent Lucazeau, a 34-year-old French tourist, says seeing an iceberg was sobering.

"It is a concrete image of global warming to see icebergs making it to these places where the water is warm," he told AFP.

"There's something mysterious and impressive about it, but knowing too that they are not supposed to be here makes you wonder, and it's a little scary."

At dusk, tourists marvel at the sensational collapse of an iceberg at the end of its long journey from Greenland to Canada's east coast, which now has a front-row seat to the melting of the Arctic's ice.

At dusk, tourists marvel at the sensational collapse of an iceberg at the end of its long journey from Greenland to Canada's east coast, which now has a front-row seat to the melting of the Arctic's ice. While the rest of the world nervously eyes the impact of global warming, the calving of Greenland's glaciers the breaking off of ice chunks from its edge has breathed new life into the remote coastal villages of Newfoundland and Labrador. Once a hub of cod fishing, the province now plays host to hordes of amateur photographers and tourists hoping to capture the epic ice melt for posterity. As winter ends, iceberg spotting begins. "It keeps getting better every year," says Barry Strickland, a 58-year-old former fisherman who now takes tourists in his small boat around King's Point in the north of the province. "We've got 135, 140 tour buses with older people coming into the town every season so it's great for the economy." For the past four years, Strickland has taken visitors to bear witness to the death throes of these ice giants, which can measure dozens of meters in height and weigh hundreds of thousands of tons. Winds and ocean currents bring the icebergs from northwest Greenland, thousands of kilometres (miles) away, to Canada's shores. In a matter of weeks, ice frozen for thousands of years can quickly melt into the ocean. 'Incredible' rise in tourism Strickland's boat excursions are often fully booked during the high season from May to July, with tourists coming from all around the world to King's Point, a village of just 600 inhabitants. The villagers keep track of the icebergs on an interactive satellite tracking map put online by the provincial government. "There's not much in these small outport towns anymore to keep people around, so tourism is a big part of our economy," said Devon Chaulk, who works in a souvenir shop in Elliston, a small town of 300 on "Iceberg Corridor," as the coastline is now known. "I've lived here my entire life, and the increase in tourism around here in the past 10 to 15 years has been incredible. It's not surprising to have thousands of people here over the next couple of months," said the 28-year-old. Last year, a total of 500,000 tourists visited Newfoundland and Labrador, a number roughly equivalent to the province's total population. Those visitors spent nearly Can $570 million, government figures show. Melting ice The tourism boom has helped offset the decline in the region's traditional fishing industry, which is in crisis because of overfishing at the end of the last century. Some are even marketing "iceberg water" as the purest on Earth and selling it as a high-end luxury item. The melt is also used in vodka, beer and cosmetics. But beneath the shiny surface of economic success is the dark truth that the area is in part profiting from accelerated global warming in the Arctic and that the industry is precarious at best. In the village of Twillingate, employees at the Auk Island Winery which makes its product from iceberg water and locally picked wild berries have already seen that business can be unpredictable. "We see the difference in the number of tourists from year to year, depending on the number of icebergs in the area," says Elizabeth Gleason, who works at the winery. "This year was a good year. Last year, we had almost none." The Arctic is warming three times faster than the rest of the world. In mid-July, record temperatures were recorded near the North Pole. In recent years, the icebergs have drifted further and further south, posing a threat to shipping on this busy route between Europe and North America. For now, tourists are enjoying the view and the experience while they can. "The prevalence of icebergs has good things and bad things about it," says Melissa Axtman, an American traveller. Laurent Lucazeau, a 34-year-old French tourist, says seeing an iceberg was sobering. "It is a concrete image of global warming to see icebergs making it to these places where the water is warm," he told AFP. "There's something mysterious and impressive about it, but knowing too that they are not supposed to be here makes you wonder, and it's a little scary."

'Iceberg Corridor' sparks tourist boom on Canada's east coast

In Newfoundland, Canada, icebergs are a source of wonder to tourists and joy to merchants: more and more ice giants from Greenland are drifting to this island in eastern Canada. Some see it as a boon, others as a stark illustration of the accelerated melting of the Arctic.

'Iceberg Corridor' sparks economic boom on Canada's east coast

The hot<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paris-records-hottest-temperature-since-records-began-238477"> air that smashed European</a> weather records this week looks set to move towards Greenland, a worrying development that may take Greenland's ice sheet close to or below the record low seen in 2012, the United Nations said on Friday.

Clare Nullis, spokeswoman for the UN&nbsp;World Meteorological Organization, said the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-records-fall-as-europe-bakes-in-heatwave-238541">hot air moving up</a> from North Africa had not merely broken European temperature records on Thursday but surpassed them by 2, 3 or 4 degrees Celsius, which she described as "absolutely incredible".

"According to forecasts, and this is of concern, the atmospheric flow is now going to transport that heat towards&nbsp;Greenland," she told a regular UN&nbsp;briefing in Geneva.

"This will result in high temperatures and consequently enhanced melting of the&nbsp;Greenland&nbsp;ice sheet," she said. "We don't know yet whether it will beat the 2012 level, but it's close."

Nullis cited data from Denmark's Polar Portal, which measures the daily gains and losses in surface mass of the&nbsp;Greenland&nbsp;Ice Sheet.

"In July alone, it lost 160 billion tonnes of ice through surface melting. That's roughly the equivalent of 64 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. Just in July. Just surface melt - it's not including ocean melt as well."

Belgian zookeepers fed tigers with chickens encased in giant ice cubes on Wednesday as northern Europe baked in record temperatures during another heatwave that climate experts believe could become the new normal.

For the second time in a month, a high pressure system drew scorching air from the Sahara Desert, breaking records for Belgium and the Netherlands and threatening the same in Britain, Germany and France in a streak that is due to last until Friday.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/european-heatwave-20-administrative-areas-in-france-put-on-red-alert-238329/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Soaring temperatures broke records in Germany, France, Britain and the Netherlands on Thursday, as a heatwave gripped Europe for the second time in a month in what scientists said were becoming more frequent events as the planet heats up.

As a cauldron of hot air from the Sahara desert moved across the continent, drawn northwards by high pressure, Paris saw its highest temperature since records began and Britain reported its hottest weather for the month of July.

An all-time high was measured in Germany for a second day running, at 41.5 degrees Celsius (106.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in the northwestern town of Lingen - similar temperatures to those in some Gulf Arab capitals on Thursday.

The unusual conditions brought a reduction in French and German nuclear power output, disrupted rail travel in parts of Britain and sent some Europeans, not habitual users of air conditioning in their homes, out to the shops in search of fans.

In Spain, a wildfire in the northern province of Zaragoza was almost under control, but there was a risk of further outbreaks, especially in eastern parts, where the temperature was set to rise as high as 41 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit).

Peter Innes, a senior climate research scientist at Britain's University of Reading, said the recent greater frequency of hot summers was in line with expectations about manmade global warming.

He referred to a study looking at the European heatwave of 2003 and a finding that by the middle of the 21st century, this could be the norm.

"It has been estimated that about 35,000 people died as a result of the European heatwave in 2003, so this is not a trivial issue," he said.

The hot air that smashed European weather records this week looks set to move towards Greenland, a worrying development that may take Greenland's ice sheet close to or below the record low seen in 2012, the United Nations said on Friday.

The hot air that smashed European weather records this week looks set to move towards Greenland, a worrying development that may take Greenland's ice sheet close to or below the record low seen in 2012, the United Nations said on Friday. Clare Nullis, spokeswoman for the UN World Meteorological Organization, said the hot air moving up from North Africa had not merely broken European temperature records on Thursday but surpassed them by 2, 3 or 4 degrees Celsius, which she described as "absolutely incredible". "According to forecasts, and this is of concern, the atmospheric flow is now going to transport that heat towards Greenland," she told a regular UN briefing in Geneva. "This will result in high temperatures and consequently enhanced melting of the Greenland ice sheet," she said. "We don't know yet whether it will beat the 2012 level, but it's close." Nullis cited data from Denmark's Polar Portal, which measures the daily gains and losses in surface mass of the Greenland Ice Sheet. "In July alone, it lost 160 billion tonnes of ice through surface melting. That's roughly the equivalent of 64 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. Just in July. Just surface melt - it's not including ocean melt as well." Belgian zookeepers fed tigers with chickens encased in giant ice cubes on Wednesday as northern Europe baked in record temperatures during another heatwave that climate experts believe could become the new normal. For the second time in a month, a high pressure system drew scorching air from the Sahara Desert, breaking records for Belgium and the Netherlands and threatening the same in Britain, Germany and France in a streak that is due to last until Friday. Watch Video: Soaring temperatures broke records in Germany, France, Britain and the Netherlands on Thursday, as a heatwave gripped Europe for the second time in a month in what scientists said were becoming more frequent events as the planet heats up. As a cauldron of hot air from the Sahara desert moved across the continent, drawn northwards by high pressure, Paris saw its highest temperature since records began and Britain reported its hottest weather for the month of July. An all-time high was measured in Germany for a second day running, at 41.5 degrees Celsius (106.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in the northwestern town of Lingen - similar temperatures to those in some Gulf Arab capitals on Thursday. The unusual conditions brought a reduction in French and German nuclear power output, disrupted rail travel in parts of Britain and sent some Europeans, not habitual users of air conditioning in their homes, out to the shops in search of fans. In Spain, a wildfire in the northern province of Zaragoza was almost under control, but there was a risk of further outbreaks, especially in eastern parts, where the temperature was set to rise as high as 41 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit). Peter Innes, a senior climate research scientist at Britain's University of Reading, said the recent greater frequency of hot summers was in line with expectations about manmade global warming. He referred to a study looking at the European heatwave of 2003 and a finding that by the middle of the 21st century, this could be the norm. "It has been estimated that about 35,000 people died as a result of the European heatwave in 2003, so this is not a trivial issue," he said.

Atmospheric flow now going to transport heat towards Greenland: UN

A powerful quake of magnitude 6.8 struck off the eastern coast of Greenland on Friday, the US Geological Survey said.&nbsp;

The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.1, struck at 0149 GMT. Its epicenter was in a remote area 253 miles (407 km) east of Ittoqqortoormiit in Greenland.

It was strong enough to cause local waves in the Greenland Sea but was not expected to cause a tsunami in more populated areas, the US Tsunami Warning System said.&nbsp;

A powerful quake of magnitude 6.8 struck off the eastern coast of Greenland on Friday, the US Geological Survey said. The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.

A powerful quake of magnitude 6.8 struck off the eastern coast of Greenland on Friday, the US Geological Survey said. The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.1, struck at 0149 GMT. Its epicenter was in a remote area 253 miles (407 km) east of Ittoqqortoormiit in Greenland. It was strong enough to cause local waves in the Greenland Sea but was not expected to cause a tsunami in more populated areas, the US Tsunami Warning System said.

Magnitude 6.8 quake hits off Greenland: US Geological Survey

greenland

Greenland, News on Greenland, stories on Greenland, articles on Greenland, Greenland stories at Wion, Greenland news, Greenland latest news