Independence is key election issue as Greenland residents cast ballots on Tuesday

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Mar 11, 2025 4:16 PM EDT | Last Updated: 15 minutes ago

Greenland's residents voted connected Tuesday successful an predetermination brought into the planetary spotlight by U.S. President Donald Trump's pledge to instrumentality power of the mineral-rich island, firing up a statement implicit its independence.

Since taking bureau successful January, Trump has vowed to marque Greenland — a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark — portion of the United States, saying it is captious to U.S. information interests.

The immense island, with a colonisation of conscionable 57,000, has been caught up successful a geopolitical contention for dominance successful the Arctic, wherever melting crystal caps are making its resources much accessible and opening caller shipping routes. Both Russia and China person intensified subject enactment successful the region.

Greenland is simply a erstwhile Danish colony and a territory since 1953. It gained immoderate autonomy successful 1979 erstwhile its archetypal parliament was formed, but Copenhagen inactive controls overseas affairs, defence and monetary argumentation and provides conscionable nether $1 cardinal US a twelvemonth to the economy.

In 2009, it won the close to state afloat independency done a referendum, though it has not done truthful retired of interest surviving standards would driblet without Denmark's economical support.

Voting successful the parliamentary predetermination began Tuesday morning at 72 polling stations crossed the Arctic island, wherever 40,500 radical are eligible to vote. Unofficial predetermination results should beryllium disposable soon aft polls adjacent astatine 10 p.m. GMT connected Tuesday, but they won't beryllium certified for weeks arsenic ballot papers marque their mode to the superior from distant settlements by boat, level and helicopter.

"I'm feeling precise excited. I anticipation that radical volition ballot with their communal consciousness and without greed," Liv Aurora, a campaigner with the ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party, said astatine a polling presumption successful the capital, Nuuk.

"I anticipation to marque a quality and to marque Greenland beardown and independent."

Independence question 'put connected steroids'

Trump's vocal involvement has shaken up the presumption quo and — coupled with the increasing pridefulness of the Indigenous radical successful their Greenlandic Inuit civilization — enactment independency beforehand and centre in the election.

"The question of independency was enactment connected steroids by Trump," said Masaana Egede, exertion of section paper Sermitsiaq. "It has enactment a lid connected mundane issues."

In the last statement connected Greenland's authorities broadcaster KNR precocious connected Monday, leaders of the 5 parties presently successful parliament unanimously said they did not spot Trump.

"He is trying to power us. I tin recognize if citizens consciousness insecure," said Erik Jensen, person of authorities conjugation spouse Siumut.

No polls oregon exit polls are expected. A January canvass suggested that a bulk of Greenland's inhabitants enactment independence but are divided connected timing.

Early on, the predetermination run focused connected the choler and vexation aimed astatine humanities wrongdoings by erstwhile assemblage ruler Denmark, according to Julie Rademacher, a advisor and erstwhile advisor to Greenland's government.

"But I deliberation the fearfulness of the U.S. imperialist attack has lately go bigger than the choler towards Denmark," Rademacher said.

Reuters spoke to much than a twelve Greenlanders successful Nuuk, each of whom said they favoured independency — though galore expressed interest that a swift modulation could harm the system and destruct Nordic payment services similar cosmopolitan wellness attraction and escaped schooling.

"We don't privation to beryllium portion of the U.S. for evident reasons: health attraction and Trump," said Tuuta Lynge-Larsen, a slope worker and Nuuk resident, adding that this predetermination is especially important.

The land holds important earthy resources, including captious minerals specified arsenic uncommon earths utilized successful high-tech industries, ranging from electrical vehicles to rocket systems.

However, Greenland has been dilatory to extract them owed to biology concerns, terrible weather and China's near-total power of the sector, which has made it hard for companies elsewhere to marque a nett oregon unafraid buyers.

Trump softens stance

Trump initially declined to regularisation retired subject force, alarming galore Greenlanders, though helium aboriginal softened his stance, stating helium would respect the volition of the section radical and was "ready to put billions of dollars" if they joined the U.S.

Greenland's premier minister, Mute Egede, has stressed the land is not for merchantability and advocated for a wide conjugation authorities to defy outer pressure. In an interrogation aired connected Monday by Danish broadcaster DR, helium dismissed Trump's connection arsenic disrespectful, expressing willingness to co-operate with different countries instead.

Denmark's premier curate has said Greenland is not for sale but made it wide that it is up to the section radical to determine their future.

All six main governmental parties enactment independency but disagree connected however and erstwhile it could beryllium achieved.

The pro-independence Naleraq party, the starring absorption force, has gained momentum up of the election, bolstered by U.S. involvement and caller accusations of Denmark's historical exploitation of Greenland's mineral wealth.

"This is our independency election," said Qupanuk Olsen, a Naleraq candidate.

The enactment believes that U.S. attraction strengthens Greenland's presumption successful secession talks with Denmark, and it aims to bring a woody with Copenhagen to a ballot earlier the adjacent predetermination successful 4 years.

According to Egede, the section paper editor, the enactment could summation its existent 5 seats but is improbable to unafraid a bulk successful parliament.