Polling stations closed in Greenland on Tuesday in a parliamentary election brought into the international spotlight by U.S. President Donald Trump's pledge to take control of the mineral-rich island, firing up a debate over its independence.

Voting had been extended by half an hour past a 2200 GMT deadline amid high turnout at several of the 72 polling stations across the arctic island, where 40,500 people were eligible to cast their ballots.

There were no exit polls, and a final tally of the vote could take between three and five hours to complete, Greenland's election authority has said.

Since taking office in January, Trump has vowed to make Greenland — a semiautonomous territory of Denmark — part of the United States, saying it is vital to U.S. security interests.

The vast island, with a population of 57,000, has been caught up in a geopolitical race for dominance in the Arctic, where melting ice caps are making its resources more accessible and opening new shipping routes. Both Russia and China have intensified military activity in the region.

Greenland is a former Danish colony and a territory since 1953. It gained some autonomy in 1979 when its first parliament was formed, but Copenhagen still controls foreign affairs, defense and monetary policy and provides just under $1 billion a year to the economy.

In 2009, it won the right to declare full independence through a referendum, even though it has not done so out of concern living standards would drop without Denmark's economic support.

"I strongly believe that we will very soon start to live a life more based on who we are, based on our culture, based on our own language, and start to make regulations based on us, not based on Denmark," said Qupanuk Olsen, candidate for the main pro-independence party Naleraq.

Inge Olsvig Brandt, a candidate for the ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit Party, said:

"We don't need the independence right now. We have too many things to work on. I think we have to work with ourselves, our history, and we are going to have a lot of healing work with us before we can take the next step."

Trump's interest has shaken up the status quo, and coupled with the growing pride of the Indigenous people in their Inuit culture, put independence front and center in the election.

In the final debate on Greenland's state broadcaster KNR late on Monday, leaders of the five parties currently in parliament unanimously said they did not trust Trump.

"He is trying to influence us. I can understand if citizens feel insecure," said Erik Jensen, leader of government coalition partner Siumut.

A January poll suggested a majority of Greenland's inhabitants support independence but are divided on timing.

Early on, the election campaign focused on the anger and frustration aimed at historical wrongdoings by former colonial ruler Denmark, according to Julie Rademacher, a consultant and former adviser to Greenland's government.

"But I think the fear of the U.S. imperialist approach has lately become bigger than the anger towards Denmark," said Rademacher.

Reuters spoke to more than a dozen Greenlanders in Nuuk, all of whom said they favored independence, although many expressed concern that a swift transition could damage the economy and eliminate Nordic welfare services like universal health care and free schooling.

The island holds substantial natural resources, including critical minerals such as rare earths used in high-tech industries, ranging from electric vehicles to missile systems.

However, Greenland has been slow to extract them because of environmental concerns, severe weather, and China's near-total control of the sector, which has made it difficult for companies elsewhere to make a profit or secure buyers.

Trump initially declined to rule out military force, alarming many Greenlanders, although he later softened his stance, stating he would respect the will of the local people and was "ready to invest billions of dollars" if they joined the U.S.

Greenland's prime minister, Mute Egede, has stressed the island is not for sale and advocated for a broad coalition government to resist external pressure. In an interview aired on Monday by Danish broadcaster DR, he dismissed Trump's offer as disrespectful, expressing willingness to cooperate with other countries instead.

Denmark's prime minister has said Greenland is not for sale but made it clear that it is up to the local people to decide their future.

The pro-independence Naleraq Party, the leading opposition force, has gained momentum ahead of the election, bolstered by U.S. interest and fresh accusations of Denmark's historic exploitation of Greenland's mineral wealth.

The party believes the U.S. attention strengthens Greenland's position in secession talks with Denmark and aims to bring a deal with Copenhagen to a vote before the next election in four years.

Reuters

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