Greenlanders are going to the polls for a crucial general election on Tuesday, with a push for independence a key issue after US President Donald Trump repeated his threat to take over the island.

Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede has framed today's vote as a "fateful choice." Polls show most support independence from Denmark, but the speed and timing of such a move are matters of debate.

The debate over independence has been "put on steroids by Trump", says Masaana Egede, editor of Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq. The island's strategic location and untapped mineral resources have caught the US president's eye. He first floated the idea of buying Greenland during his first term in 2019.

Elections in Greenland don't tend to draw much outside attention. President Donald Trump's expansionist designs on it have changed that.

The single polling station in Greenland ’s capital city is ready. This big Arctic island with a tiny population holds early parliamentary elections Tuesday that are being closely watched. U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear he wants to take control of the region that occupies a strategic North Atlantic location and contains rare earth minerals key to driving the global economy.

The Demokraatit party, which won a surprise victory, has pushed back against Trump's rhetoric, saying it is for Greenlanders to decide their future.

Voters unseated the incumbent prime minister to elect the center-right Demokraatit party that also campaigned heavily on domestic issues such as education, healthcare and jobs.

Greenland's center-right Demokraatit party saw a sharp increase in support as it won the country's election on Tuesday. Independence became a central issue as President Trump talked of a U.S. takeover.