Starmer tells Trump to back off over threat of Greenland trade war
Keir Starmer has hit out at Donald Trump and warned him that he was “completely wrong” to threaten tariffs over his attempt to take control of Greenland.
In his harshest message to the US president since his inauguration last year, Sir Keir denied he had previously been too soft on the president and appealed for calm, warning that a trade war would “benefit no one”.
The Prime Minister’s message comes amid fears that the UK and EU could fall into recession due to tariffs of 10 per cent or even 25 per cent, with UK GDP rising to as much as £22bn.
Trump has done little to assuage global concerns, strongly implying he might order an invasion of Greenland and saying “no comment” when asked if he was prepared to go that far.
Amidst the growing crisis, Sir Keir defends King George III. He sidestepped growing calls for Charles to cancel his proposed visit to the US to mark the country’s 250th anniversary in protest of Trump’s actions.
Sir Keir’s call for calm came as EU leaders led by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz took an even stronger approach, warning of counter-tariffs on the US economy if Trump follows through on his threats.
The French president called on member states to mobilize the bloc’s “trade bazooka” to restrict US firms’ access to the single market in response to the threats.
Fearing that the crisis could destroy the NATO alliance and spiral out of control, even US Republican representatives on Capitol Hill have warned the president about the dangers of his actions.
“There is absolutely no interest in some of the options being discussed or considered here,” said Senate majority leader John Thune.
Thune’s predecessor, Senator Mitch McConnell, added that military action against the region would be “an unprecedented act of strategic self-harm” that would risk “burning” NATO alliances.
But an unrepentant Trump doubled down on his demands in a bizarre letter to the Norwegian prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre; Here he appeared to blame the Scandinavian government for its aggressive actions, which he suggested were a result of not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
Trump stated that he “no longer feels the obligation to think only about peace” and added: “I have done more for NATO than anyone else since its founding, and now NATO must do something for the United States.”
“The world is not safe unless we have complete and total control over Greenland.”
At an emergency press conference on Monday morning, Sir Keir made clear that the UK government would not back down in the face of Trump’s threats.
The Prime Minister called on the whole country to unite in the face of Trump’s promise to invade Greenland and impose tariffs on Britain and other European allies.
He said the dispute over Greenland, which Trump wants to take over due to its strategic location in the Arctic and mineral wealth, should be resolved through a “calm discussion between allies” rather than military action or a trade war.
Sir Keir also signaled that Britain would not engage in a trade war with the Americans and impose retaliatory tariffs, insisting this was “not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance”.
He said: “Partnership does not mean giving up on principles, so it is important to be clear about who we stand for, what we stand for and where our interests lie.
“This is a moment for the whole country to come together, so I warmly welcome the support we have received on Greenland and the tariffs proposed by the opposition leader. [Kemi Badenoch]. “I thank him for his support,” he said.
He also insisted that “the right way to approach such a serious issue is to have a calm discussion between allies.”
“Any decisions regarding the future status of Greenland rest solely with the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark. This right is fundamental,” he continued.
“The use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong. It is not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance, nor is it helpful to frame efforts to strengthen Greenlandic security as justification for economic pressure.”
Sir Keir said he did not think Mr Trump was really prepared to use the US military to annex Greenland and insisted the UK no longer needed to take sides in the growing rift between the US and Europe.
He said: “I don’t think it’s right for us to choose between the US and Europe. This is not a new position today. This is the position that I have consistently defended, as have previous governments.”
“Because we are allies with our European partners, we are allied with the United States, and the ability to maintain both of those alliances has served us well over the last 80 years.”
As a sign of solidarity, Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper welcomed her Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen to talks in London.
Echoing Sir Keir’s comments, he said: “Greenland’s future is for Greenlanders and Danes alone. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and principles around sovereignty are very important.”
“That’s why we’ve made it clear that this use of tariffs and threats against allies is completely wrong and counterproductive.”
Ms. Cooper also emphasized the need to strengthen Arctic security against the threat from Russia.
Mr Rasmussen said he and Ms Cooper “have been in contact almost every day for the last week”, adding: “I’m not here to ask for your support, I’m here to thank you for your support.”
