Greenland poll winners desire sovereignty, won’t be part of US

A party that favours a gradual path to Greenland’s independence from Denmark won a surprise victory in parliamentary elections, held in the shadow of US President Donald Trump’s stated goal of taking control of the island one way or another.

The centre-right Demokraatit Party has pushed back against Trump’s rhetoric, saying it is for Greenlanders to decide the future of the strategically important territory, which holds large reserves of the rare earth minerals needed to make everything from mobile phones to renewable energy technology. The Arctic island is also home to a US air base and straddles strategic air and sea routes in the North Atlantic.

The result should send a clear message to Trump that Denmark is not for sale, Demokraatit leader Jens-Friederik Nielsen said.

“We don’t want to be Americans. No, we don’t want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders. And we want our own independence in the future. And we want to build our own country by ourselves, not with his hope.”