The News
Greenland’s center-right Demokraatit party won the island’s parliamentary election Tuesday, just falling short of a majority — a surprise victory that the party’s leader said was a rebuke to US President Donald Trump.
It will now need to form a coalition to govern the territory, which is a semi-autonomous part of Denmark. Demokraatit leader and incoming prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Tuesday that he hoped the vote sent “a clear message to [Trump] that we are not for sale.” Still, the election results reveal a potential split among Greenlanders over US influence: The Naleraq party, which came second in the vote, is widely seen as more open to Trump’s overtures.
Trump has repeatedly said the US should annex Greenland. In a joint address to Congress last week, the president said the island was critical for security, adding that “one way or the other, we’re going to get it.”
Greenland has vast stores of critical minerals used in manufacturing, especially technology. Both Russia and China have increased their military activity in the region in recent years.