In a typical year, elections on the sparsely populated island of Greenland would probably go unnoticed by the rest of the world. However, with President Trump’s vow that “one way or another” America will acquire it, the international spotlight is turning to the frigid island.

Greenland is slated to hold elections on March 11. The semiautonomous territory was ruled by Denmark as a colony until 1953, when it became a district. It has a local government, but its foreign, monetary, and security policies are controlled by Denmark. The island has a prime minister, who is chosen by the party that wins the most seats in the 31-seat parliament, the Inatsisartut.

The Danish government says there are just 56,000 inhabitants of the island, and the Guardian reports that the voting population is roughly 40,000. 

The elections on Tuesday could answer questions about whether the residents there are happy with their current situation or if they are open to independence or developing closer relations with America.

There are few indications of how the residents will vote, as the scattered population makes it difficult to conduct reliable polling. A poll conducted by Verian in February found that the two parties that make up the current governing coalition, the Intuit Ataqatigiit and the Siumut, were in first and second place. 

Greenland’s prime minister, Mute Egede, has responded to Mr. Trump’s dreams of acquiring the island by stating that it is “not for sale.”

The question of whether Greenland will seek independence from Denmark is not up for a vote on Tuesday. However, it could influence how quickly the island moves to hold a referendum on the matter.

Mr. Egede’s Intuit Ataqatigiit party and the Siumut party both support independence — at some point. The Siumut party has expressed a desire to hold a vote on independence after Tuesday’s election, a position believed to be popular and that could help it win more votes.

By contrast, Mr. Egede shared what was perceived as a less dramatic view during his New Year’s address saying, “It is time we take a step to shape our future in terms of who we should work closely with and who should be our trading partners.”

“Our collaboration with other countries and our trade relations cannot continue to take place through Denmark alone,” he said. 

Mr. Egede’s comments were seen as a call for more control over trade matters, but not a full break from Denmark, which provides the island territory free healthcare, free education, and subsidies for housing. 

Meanwhile, Greenland’s largest opposition party, Naleraq, supports independence and has made a point of signaling a willingness to develop closer ties with America. 

Hovering over the upcoming elections are Mr. Trump’s comments about acquiring the island. During his speech to Congress last week, Mr. Trump said America “strongly support[s] your right to determine your own future. And if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America.”

However, after insisting he supports Greenland’s right to self determination, he said, “I think we’re going to get it one way or the other. We’re going to get it.”

In a post on Truth Social on Sunday night, Mr Trump wrote, “We will continue to KEEP YOU SAFE, as we have since World War II. We are ready to INVEST BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to create new jobs and MAKE YOU RICH.”

The American president’s comments have set off alarm bells at Copenhagen as Danish leaders fret about the future of Greenland. 

In January, Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, embarked on a tour of European capitals to shore up support. During a meeting with the German chancellor, Ms. Frederiksen said, “We are facing a more uncertain reality, a reality that calls for an even more united Europe and for more cooperation.”

Denmark also moved to bulk up its military presence around Greenland. 

A conservative Danish member of Parliament, Rasmus Jarlov, posted on X on Monday that “not a single candidate in Greenland’s elections wants to join the USA.” He highlighted a poll that found 85 percent of Greenlanders said they oppose the idea.

He also noted that Greenland has “full rights in Denmark” and two representatives in the Danish parliament. By contrast, he suggested joining America would be a downgrade for the island because it would be an “overseas territory without voting rights or any influence.”

He also said America already has “full military access” to Greenland and the ability to “extract minerals” if it “put[s] up the money,” so it does not need to acquire the island. And even if mineral extraction was the goal of acquiring Greenland, he said America would be able to acquire them in other parts of the world “cheaper and easier.”

As members of the Danish government have expressed exasperation at Mr. Trump’s comments, Greenland’s leaders have also criticized them. Mr. Egede has said Mr. Trump has not shown the island enough “respect.”

“We deserve to be treated with respect, and I don’t think the American president has done that lately since he took office,” he told Danish public broadcaster DR.
While he spoke of Mr. Trump’s alleged lack of respect, the Guardian reports that the attitude toward his comments in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, has largely been “bemusement.” Politicians in Greenland see his comments as giving them more leverage to negotiate for more autonomy or faster independence from Denmark.