Keir Starmer has criticised Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on the United Kingdom and other European countries over Greenland, calling the decision "completely wrong" and warning it risks undermining NATO unity.
The US president said a 10% tariff would take effect from 1 February on several NATO allies, including Britain, unless a deal was reached for the United States to buy Greenland. He added the levy would rise to 25% by June if no agreement was secured.
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Starmer said Greenland's future was a matter for Greenlanders and Denmark alone, stressing that Arctic security was a shared NATO concern. Penalising allies for acting together on collective defence, he said, ran counter to the principles of the alliance.
Opposition leaders across the UK echoed the criticism. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Greenland's sovereignty should be decided only by its people, while Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey accused Trump of punishing allies "for doing the right thing".
Former senior diplomat Lord Peter Ricketts urged European governments to respond calmly, arguing that US security interests in Greenland could be met through cooperation with Denmark and NATO rather than threats. He said the focus should be on working together to address Arctic security, not escalating disputes with tariffs...