Polls closed on Tuesday in an .
The polling station in Greenland’s capital has now closed in a parliamentary election that will determine the leaders who will have to deal with US President Donald Trump’s effort to seize control of the strategically placed Arctic country.
What happens next?
Around 40,000 people were eligible to vote in the election for Greenland’s 31-seat parliament.
Ballot counting could take weeks as votes from remote areas must be transported by boat, plane, and helicopter.
While health care and education were central campaign issues, discussions about future relationship with Denmark have dominated the election.
Greenland is a self-governing territory under Danish control, with Copenhagen managing its foreign affairs, defense, and monetary policy.
Pro-independence supporters hope for a strong mandate that could accelerate Greenland’s path toward full sovereignty.
Why does this election matter internationally?
The election has drawn global attention, partly due to ongoing attempts to influence the island’s political landscape.
During his second term, Trump has once again expressed strong interest in Greenland, declaring his intention to gain control over the Arctic territory “one way or the other.”
and statements to sway the election have sparked both astonishment and rejection from Greenlanders.
Greenland has been moving toward greater autonomy since 2009, but Trump’s repeated claims have created uncertainty about the island’s future.
“I think most of us have been scared since the new year because of [Trump’s] interest,” Pipaluk Leynge, a member of parliament from the ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party, told The Associated Press news agency.
Opinion polls suggest most Greenlanders do not support becoming part of the United States.
Beyond security concerns, economic factors may also be driving US interest in Greenland.
The island is believed to have valuable deposits of oil, gas, gold, uranium, and zinc, particularly in its southern regions. As climate change alters Greenland’s ecological landscape, these resources may become easier to extract, increasing the island’s geopolitical significance.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
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