Starmer says Greenland’s future must be decided by Greenlanders; calls tariffs 'completely wrong'

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pushed back in London on President Trump’s threat of new tariffs over an effort to acquire Greenland, saying the island’s future must be decided by Greenlanders and the kingdom of Denmark and that Britain must “stand up for its values.” Mr. Trump, the Times reported, demanded a deal to buy Greenland and threatened on social media to raise tariffs on several European nations, starting at 10 percent in February and rising to 25 percent in June.

At a news conference on Monday, Mr. Starmer said a tariff war would be “not in anybody’s interests” and that “the use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong.” Mr. Starmer said the United States remained a close ally but added that alliances are built on “respect and partnership.” A government spokesman said Mr.

Starmer spoke with Mr. Trump on Sunday and had made his views known; Mr. Starmer noted that Britain recently sent a military officer to Greenland as part of a mission with other European countries to “assess and work on the risk from the Russians.” Several NATO allies and Denmark released a joint statement condemning the tariff threats, and the threats drew criticism across the British political spectrum.

Mr. Starmer appeared to rule out retaliatory tariffs by Britain, saying, “We have not got to that stage, and my focus is making sure we don’t get to that stage.” He said he would continue dialogue with Mr.

Key Topics

Politics, Keir Starmer, Greenland, Denmark, Donald Trump, Tariffs