'There's never been a spotlight like this': Greenland heads to the polls as Trump eyes territory

Residents of Greenland head to the polls on Tuesday in a vote that in previous years has drawn little outside attention - but which may prove pivotal for the Arctic territory's future.

US President Donald Trump's repeated interest in acquiring Greenland has put it firmly in the spotlight and fuelled the longstanding debate on the island's future ties with Copenhagen.

"There's never been a spotlight like this on Greenland before," says Nauja Bianco, a Danish-Greenlandic policy expert on the Arctic.

Greenland has been controlled by Denmark – nearly 3,000km (1,860 miles) away – for about 300 years. It governs its own domestic affairs, but decisions on foreign and defence policy are made in Copenhagen.

Now, five out of six parties on the ballot favour Greenland's independence from Denmark, differing only on how quickly that should come about.

The debate over independence has been "put on steroids by Trump", says Masaana Egede, editor of Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq.

The island's strategic location and untapped mineral resources have caught the US president's eye. He first floated the idea of buying Greenland back during his first term in 2019.

Since taking office again in January, he has reiterated his intention to acquire the territory. Greenland and Denmark's leaders have repeatedly rebuffed his demands.

Addressing the US Congress last week, however, Trump again doubled down. "We need Greenland for national security. One way or the other we're gonna get it," he said, prompting applause and laughter from a number of politicians, including Vice-President JD Vance.

In Nuuk, his words struck a nerve with politicians who were quick to condemn them. "We deserve to be treated with respect and I don't think the American president has done that lately since he took office," Prime Minister Mute Egede said.

Still, the US interest has stoked calls for Greenland to break away from Denmark, with much of the debate focused on when – not if – the process of independence should begin.

Greenland's independence goal is not new, Nauja Bianco points out, and has been decades in the making.

A string of revelations about past mistreatment of Inuit people by the Danes have hurt Greenlandic public opinion about Denmark. Earlier this year, PM Egede said the territory should free itself from "the shackles of colonialism".

But it is the first time the subject has taken centre stage in an election.

Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA), the party of Prime Minister Mute Egede, favours gradual steps towards autonomy. "Citizens must feel secure," he told local media.

Arctic expert Martin Breum says Egede's handling of the challenge from Trump and strong words against Denmark over past colonial wrongdoings "will give him a lot of votes".

Smaller rivals could also gain ground and potentially shake up alliances.

Opposition party Naleraq wants to immediately kick-off divorce proceedings from Copenhagen and have closer defence dealings with Washington.

Pointing to Greenland's EU departure and Brexit, party leader Pele Broberg has said that Greenland could be "out of the Danish kingdom in three years".

Naleraq is fielding the largest number of candidates and has gained momentum by riding the wave of discontent with Denmark.

"Naleraq will also be a larger factor too in parliament," predicts Mr Breum, who says party candidates have performed well on TV and on social media.

However, the centre-right Demokraatit party believes it is too soon to push for independence.

"The economy will have to be much stronger than it is today," party candidate Justus Hansen told Reuters.

Greenland's economy is driven by fishing, and government spending relies on annual subsidies from Denmark.

Talk of Trump and independence has overshadowed other key issues for voters, says newspaper editor Masaana Egede.

"It's an election where we should be talking about healthcare, care of the elderly and social problems. Almost everything is about independence."

According to recent polls, almost 80% of Greenlanders back moves towards future statehood.

About 44,000 people are eligible to vote, and given the low numbers and few polls, results are difficult to forecast.

Even though a majority of Greenlanders favour independence, a survey has shown that half would be less enthusiastic about independence if that meant lower living standards.

One poll found that 85% of Greenlanders do not wish to become a part of the United States, and nearly half see Trump's interest as a threat.

One fear among some Greenlanders, says Masaana Egede, is how long the Arctic island could remain independent and whether it would break off from Denmark only to have another country "standing on our coasts and start taking over".

Experts say it is this worry that could steer votes towards keeping the status quo.

Although Greenland's right to self-determination is enshrined into law by the 2009 Self-Rule Act, there are several steps to take before the territory could break away from Denmark, including holding a referendum.

This means getting full independence could take "about 10 to 15 years," says Kaj Kleist, a veteran Greenlandic politician and civil servant who prepared the Self-Rule Act.

"There is lot of preparation and negotiations with the Danish government before you can make that a reality," he adds.

Whatever the election's outcome, experts do not believe Greenland could become independent before Trump's second term is over in 2028.

The results are expected in the early hours of Wednesday.