As Trump eyes Greenland, election tests Arctic island's ambitions for independence from Denmark
With President Donald Trump setting his sights on acquiring Greenland, voters in the general election were thinking about the future status of the Arctic island.
With President Donald Trump aggressively setting his sights on acquiring Greenland and growing calls in the territory for independence from Denmark, the future status of the Arctic island was firmly at the front of voters' minds as they headed to the polls Tuesday.
Just 31 lawmakers will be elected to Greenland’s parliament or Inatsisartut, but the vote, which has drawn little attention in previous years, will be watched the world over.
“It’s definitely a different election this time around,” said Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen, an associate professor at the Royal Danish Defence College, which provides training, research and advice to Denmark’s military.
Politicians in Greenland had previously talked about independence from Denmark as “a goal for future generations,” he told NBC News in a telephone interview Monday.
"Trump’s interest has made it really tangible” because voters can see what independence looks like, he said. This could be close collaboration or “perhaps even annexation by the U.S.” and could happen in a few years, he added.
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