Greenland chooses pro-business, independence parties in potential boost for Trump
Daily News Article — Posted on March 14, 2025
(By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, Tom Little, Reuters) – NUUK, Greenland, March 12 (Reuters) – Greenland’s pro-business Demokraatit Party surged to victory in a shake-up that could boost U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to tap the island’s mineral wealth, with the victors keen for reforms favoring private enterprise and mining.
The Democrats, which favor gradual independence from Denmark, more than tripled their seats to 10 in the 31-seat Inatsisartut parliament, according to results released on Wednesday, and will begin talks to form a coalition.
The strongly pro-independence Naleraq doubled their seats to eight from the prior election, while the ruling coalition lost almost half of its share of the vote.
“People want change,” the Democrats’ leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen told reporters in Nuuk after the final vote count. “We don’t want independence tomorrow, we want to build a good foundation.”
Independence became the central campaign theme in Tuesday’s election after Trump’s repeated insistence that the semi-autonomous Danish territory is vital to U.S. national security and will eventually become part of the United States.
At three times the size of Texas, with a population of just 57,000, the Arctic nation contains vast mineral resources, including rare earth minerals critical for high-tech industries, ranging from electric vehicles to missile systems.
Despite gains for rapid independence advocate Naleraq, Rasmus Leander Nielsen, associate professor at the University of Greenland, said the Democrats were more likely to form a broad coalition with one or both of the outgoing ruling parties, Inuit Ataqatigiit and Siumut, in a show of national unity. …..
In the election campaign, the Democrats’ Nielsen rebuffed Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland, calling it “a threat to our political independence.”
However, in campaign documents, the party said it would be open to dialogue with the U.S. on commercial interests.
The election result has moved business development and the mining agenda to the centre of Greenlandic politics.
“If you add up the election result, voters were driven by business development and independence. And that’s good news for Trump,” said Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen, a professor in political science at the University of Copenhagen. “From a White House perspective, this is probably the best result you could hope for.”
“If Trump can negotiate an agreement that gives the U.S. assurances that Greenland will not open up its society to Chinese bases, Chinese mines or Russian influence, then it’s sort of under control. And then Trump can… say that he has gained access to minerals.”
Greenland has been a formal part of Denmark since 1953. In 1979 it gained some autonomy, although Copenhagen still controls foreign affairs, defense and monetary policy and contributes nearly $1 billion annually to the economy.
The island won the right to seek full independence through a referendum in 2009, but so far has chosen not to do so, on concerns over the economy’s ability to be self-sufficient.
A poll in January showed the majority of Greenlanders want independence from Denmark but are divided as to how fast it should happen. …..
Previous election campaigns in Greenland have focused on how to allocate the funds – accounting for half of its budget – that the island receives from Denmark.
Fishing remains its top industry, accounting for about 95% of exports, and although it contains mineral wealth, it has been slow to extract it due to environmental concerns, severe weather and competition from China, which dominates the rare earth sector.
The Democrats want reforms that will help create a self-sustaining economy by stimulating private sector growth, particularly in the mining sector, and to create incentives for entrepreneurship while reducing bureaucratic obstacles. …
The party, which has also advocated for closer ties with Europe, voted against a 2021 ban on uranium mining that halted development of Kvanefjeld, one of the world’s biggest rare earth deposits. …
Published at Reuters on March 12, 2025. Reprinted here in part for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.
Questions
1. While Greenland holds significant rare earth reserves, no rare earth mining is currently active; projects were halted in 2021, after the government passed a law limiting uranium content in mined resources (uranium is often found alongside rare earth deposits).
How might the results of Wednesday's election in Greenland affect President Trump's attempts to make a deal with that country on their abundant minerals?
2. Why does Trump want Greenland to join the U.S.?
3. a) How large is Greenland compared to Texas? - what is the population?
b) It is believed that Greenland has an abundance of rare earth metals. List several items that require rare earths in their production.
4. What relationship did the winning Demokraatit (Democrat) Party said they would be open to with the U.S. (in their campaign documents)?
5. What 2 issues were most important to Greenland's voters?
6. a) What reforms do Greenland's center-right Democrat party want?
b) What ban did the party vote against in 2021 that indicates they would be willing to work with the U.S.?
7. The U.S. used to be a major producer of rare earth elements (REEs), but its industry declined due to factors including strict environmental regulations. The U.S. is increasingly concerned about its dependence on China for REEs, particularly for defense and technology applications, and is looking to diversify its supply chain.
-Watch the interview under "Resources" with Carla Sands, former Ambassador to Greenland and Denmark. Pay attention to the clip of President Trump's message to the people of Greenland during his address to Congress.
-Read the brief summary of rare earth metals under "Background" below.
How does Ms. Sand view Greenland's election results and the impact it will have on President Trump's aim to make a deal with Greenland?
8. Why do you think Greenland's election results, and President Trump's push for uniting with and/or making a rare earths deal with Greenland is important news for all Americans to understand?
Background
Who owns Greenland, and where is it?
- Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, not a country. Its population of about 56,000 are full citizens of Denmark and, by extension, the European Union.
- Although controlled by Denmark, Greenland's capital, Nuuk, is over 3,500km away from Copenhagen and sits between the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans, off the coast of North America.
- As the largest island in the world, Greenland is rich in natural resources.
This territory is crucial to US interests due to its location on the shortest route between North America and Europe and its role as home to a key American space facility.
The island's surrounding waters are considered a security "black hole", with vast areas lacking government or military surveillance.
During a press conference, Trump provided further insight into his reasoning behind wanting to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal — both of which he has shown interest in.
A new idea?
- Trump isn't the first US president to propose buying Greenland. In 1867, then-president Andrew Johnson, who bought Alaska, also considered acquiring the island.
- After World War II, the Truman administration suggested offering Denmark US$100 million ($160 million) for Greenland, as revealed in documents reported by Danish media. (from SBS News, 1/8/25)
Rare earth or rare earths?
The correct term is "rare earth elements" or "rare earth metals," not "rare earth minerals" or "rare earths minerals". The term "rare earths" refers to the 17 elements, including the 15 lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium, which are found in various minerals.
Uses of rare earth elements:
Rare earth elements are used in a wide variety of applications, including electronics, magnets, and energy technologies. (Rare earths are used in many industries including optics, defense, automotive, and medical, along with a vast quantity of consumer products from power tools to smart phones.)
Rare Earth Minerals:
These are minerals that contain rare earth elements, but the term "rare earth" refers to the elements themselves, not the minerals.
Why the name "rare earths"?
The term "rare earths" is a bit of a misnomer, as these elements are actually relatively common in the Earth's crust. However, they are often dispersed and difficult to extract from their ores, which is why they are called rare.
(from a google search for "rare earth or rare earths minerals" AI overview)
Rare earth elements (REEs), which comprise of only 17 elements from the entire periodic table, play a critical role to our national security, energy independence, environmental future, and economic growth. Many advanced technologies have components made from REEs such as magnets, batteries, phosphors, and catalysts. These components are used in various sectors of the US economy including health care, transportation, power generation, petroleum refining, and consumer electronics. (from U.S. Department of Energy energy[.]gov) energy .gov/fecm/rare-earth-elements