Denmark's foreign minister said on Wednesday that it was significant that U.S. President Donald Trump had recognised Greenland's right to self-determination while reiterating an interest in acquiring the island in his address to Congress.

In most other years, an election in a sparsely populated Arctic island would fly largely under the radar. But as voters in Greenland head to the polls on March 11, they’ll be doing so under the shadow of US President Donald Trump wanting to take control of the semi-autonomous territory from Denmark.