The UK Prime Minister has criticized Donald Trump regarding his threats to impose tariffs on NATO allies due to his desire to take over Greenland, making his stance quite evident.
Trump’s ongoing discussions about acquiring Greenland, despite it being a NATO and US ally, have sparked global reactions.
This has included responses from various leaders, such as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has spoken against Trump’s repeated comments about purchasing the territory. Additionally, Greenland’s premier Jens Frederik Nielsen has urged Trump to ‘stop the threats’.
The international backlash has been significant. For example, during an event in London, UK, where Vanessa Williams performed the National Anthem, an audience member heckled her regarding the president’s threats.
British MPs have strongly criticized Trump’s actions, with senior conservative Simon Hoare labeling him as a ‘gangster’, stating: “The civilised world can deal with Trump no longer. He is a gangster pirate.”
Recently, the UK Government issued a statement outlining the Prime Minister’s actions in response to Trump’s intentions concerning Greenland.
The statement, released yesterday (18 January), mentioned that Starmer held discussions with Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, as well as Trump.
During the conversation with Trump, Starmer reportedly informed him that ‘applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is wrong’, according to Downing Street.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also expressed the UK’s stance on the matter during her appearance on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, affirming that Greenland’s sovereignty is ‘non-negotiable’.
“We believe it is wrong, we believe it is deeply unhelpful,” she stated.
The Prime Minister further addressed the nation, declaring that the UK supports Denmark’s ownership of the area, saying: “Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes.”
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom jointly released a statement opposing Trump’s threats to impose a 25 percent tariff on nations that resist his aspiration to acquire Greenland.
Published 24 hours ago, the NATO allies emphasized their commitment to ‘strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest’. They noted an existing ‘pre-coordinated Danish exercise’ known as the ‘Arctic Endurance’, conducted with Allies to address this necessity.
The statement continued: “We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland. Building on the process begun last week, we stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind.”
Regarding the tariffs, the statement added: “Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty.”