Hands off Greenland! Starmer backs Denmark’s rebuke to Trump – but stays on the fence over whether Venezuela raid broke international law

Keir Starmer called on Donald Trump to drop his threat to seize Greenland today but stayed On the fence over the Venezuelan raid.

The prime minister backed Denmark, which rebuked the president’s persistent demands to seize the territory.

Sir Keir spoke more clearly on the issue hours after the Home Secretary squirmed Mike Tapp said he would have no “continued comment” on the matter.

But he declined to say whether he believed the United States broke the law with the extraordinary seizure of Nicola Maduro from Caracas.

He said international rules were ‘really important’ and that the president would want to ‘make his case’.

Mr. Trump authorized the operation in the South American country on Saturday, which resulted in special forces capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

It was revealed that Operation Absolute Resolve may have killed 40 people, including almost the entirety of Maduro’s security team, but there were no deaths in the US.

The US President, meanwhile, promised to ‘rule’ the oil-rich country; it was a move widely condemned by other countries.

But the Prime Minister refused to criticize the move as he sought to avoid angering Mr Trump (pictured centre), saying only that he ‘shed no tears’ for Maduro’s ouster.

Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, is the most senior figure to call for clarity

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will make a statement on the developments in the House of Commons this afternoon.

But Sir Keir is under increasing pressure from his own MPs to put forward the UK’s position.

Visiting a community center in Berkshire this morning, Sir Keir said: ‘What is happening here in Venezuela is absolutely crucial. ‘We have long advocated a peaceful transition to democracy because the president was illegitimate.’

Sir Keir also said international law should be the ‘anchor’ for Venezuela’s future after the US deposed President Maduro at the weekend. He added that the US would ‘want to justify’ its actions in international law.

But the Prime Minister will not ask whether he believes the United States is violating international law when asked directly.

He told reporters: ‘International law is really important. This is the framework and it is the duty of the USA to provide the reasons for its actions. But this is a complicated situation. It remains a complex situation. ‘The most important thing is stability and a peaceful transition to democracy.’

The Prime Minister added: ‘I think the vast majority of Labor MPs would say they want to see democracy in Venezuela. This is very important.’

On his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen’s insistence that Mr Trump had no right to claim Greenland, the Prime Minister said: ‘I am with him and he is right about the future of Greenland.’

He added: ‘Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark will decide the future of Greenland; only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.

‘Denmark is a close ally of Europe, it is a NATO ally, and the future of Greenland is, as I said, very important for the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland, and not only for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.’

Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, was the most senior figure to call for clarity.

Dame Emily stressed that she did not shed any tears for Maduro and that he ‘shouldn’t be there’ after losing the election.

However, he said there was no legal justification for the US action.

‘I’m not in the government. I can basically tell it like it is,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour.

‘I think ultimately there is no escape from this; This is not a legal action.

He added: ‘He might want to hear from the American government what the reasoning is. I can get ahead of this and say that I literally can’t think of anything that would be a suitable justification.’

Dame Emily said Sir Keir should join allies such as France and Germany to criticize the US move.

‘I think it’s important that we make it clear that this is unacceptable,’ he added.

Mr Tapp avoided Britain’s sight as he toured the broadcast studios this morning.

‘The British government is in talks with the Americans and will be in talks,’ he said.

‘We are also talking to our close allies to discuss the legal aspect of this.’

Mr Trump suggested Venezuela might not be the last country to suffer American intervention, telling the Atlantic magazine: ‘We definitely need Greenland.’

But Mr Tapp appeared unwilling to give a full-throated rebuttal to the US president’s desire to seize Greenland, a territory of Denmark, a NATO ally of both Britain and America.

Mike Tapp chuckled and said he would make ‘no further comment’ as he was grilled on the UK’s view of action in Venezuela and US demands to seize Danish territory.

Mr Trump authorized the operation in the South American country on Saturday, which resulted in special forces capturing Maduro (pictured last year) and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Richard Burgon is among Labor MPs who want Sir Keir to condemn US action

He told Sky that Venezuela and Greenland were ‘clearly different’ situations but suggested this should be discussed by Denmark and the US, adding: ‘It is NATO’s job to have a solid basis to ensure that there is no division here.’

Mr Tapp, who has been repeatedly challenged that America should not have invaded Greenland, said: ‘Diplomacy is a sensitive subject, which unfortunately means we are not here to make a running commentary on the news, although that would be great for viewers and Twitter.

‘But it’s the final results that matter. Working with our allies and adhering to international law is what we stand for as a country.’

Asked on Saturday whether he would condemn military action in Venezuela, Sir Keir said he wanted to wait to “get the facts out” and speak to Mr Trump, and later said the UK would “no tears” over the end of the Maduro regime.

Liverpool Riverside Labor Party MP Kim Johnson questioned ‘whether we, as a country, still support international law and sovereignty’, while Leeds East Labor Party MP Richard Burgon described the Prime Minister’s statement as ‘shameful and reckless’.