Residents of Greenland are going to the polls 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.
Voting takes place over 11 hours at 72 polling stations, and ends at 20:00 local time on Tuesday (22:00G).
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 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.
Credit: bbc.com
