Sir Keir Starmer has lashed out at Donald Trump’s decision to hit the UK and other European countries with a 10 per cent tariff if they continue their opposition to a US takeover of Greenland.
The US president threatened to increase the tariff to 25 per cent from 1 June, until a deal is reached to buy Greenland from Denmark. It applies to the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland.
Sir Keir said the government will take this up directly with the Trump administration, after the US president warned “world peace” is at stake if the US is not permitted to control the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
"Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong,” the prime minister said in a statement. “We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration."
The UK’s position on Greenland is “very clear”, he said: “It is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes.
“We have also made clear that Arctic Security matters for the whole of Nato and allies should all do more together to address the threat from Russia across different parts of the Arctic.”
Ambassadors from the European Union's 27 countries will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting, after EU Council president Antonio Costa and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the move risks causing a “dangerous downward spiral” and undermining relations across the Atlantic.
“Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty," the pair said in a statement on X.
Cyprus, which holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, said late on Saturday that it had called the meeting. EU diplomats said it was set to start at 5pm local time.
In the long-winded Truth Social post on Saturday, Mr Trump warned that China and Russia both want to control Greenland, which he says only the US can prevent.
“Only the United States of America, under PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, can play in this game, and very successfully, at that!
“Nobody will touch this sacred piece of Land, especially since the National Security of the United States, and the World at large, is at stake.”
He also accused all eight countries of having “journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown”.
Earlier this week, Downing Street confirmed one UK military officer had been sent at Denmark's request to join a reconnaissance group ahead of a planned Arctic endurance exercise, but denied it amounted to a "deployment".
Mr Trump added: “This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet. These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable.
“Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question.”
French president Emmanuel Macron has issued the fiercest response thus far, declaring that “no intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland”.
“Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context,” he added in a post on X. “Europeans will respond to them in a united and coordinated manner if they were to be confirmed. We will know how to uphold European sovereignty.”
Officials from Norway, Sweden, France and Germany reiterated support for Denmark on Saturday and said tariffs should not be part of Greenland discussions. "We will not let ourselves be blackmailed. Only Denmark and Greenland decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson posted on X.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, disputed Trump’s claim that the US could protect Greenland from China and Russia.
“China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among Allies,” she said.
“If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside Nato. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity.
“We also cannot let our dispute distract us from the our core task of helping to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.”
Mr Trump has long had his eye on Greenland, first proposing US control over the territory in 2019. At the time, the idea was turned down and described as “absurd” by Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen.
In his renewed plan for control, he said it was "time for Denmark to give back", adding: "China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it."
Greenland sits off the northeastern coast of Canada, with more than two-thirds of its territory lying within the Arctic Circle. That has made it crucial to the defence of North America since the Second World War.
Thousands took to the streets of Copenhagen on Saturday to protest against Mr Trump’s threats. Demonstrators were seen holding banners that read: “Greenland is not for sale” and "No means No" alongside the territory's red-and-white flag as they marched towards the US embassy.
Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage were among the senior politicians to criticise the move. The Conservative leader wrote on social media: “A terrible idea. President Trump is completely wrong to announce tariffs on the UK over Greenland. People in both UK and US will face higher costs.
“These tariffs will be yet another burden for businesses across our country. The sovereignty of Greenland should only be decided by the people of Greenland.”
The Reform UK leader said “these tariffs will hurt us”, while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Mr Trump was "punishing" the UK.
William Reinsch, a trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said: "The biggest danger, it seems to me, is his decision to treat some EU countries different from others. I'm not surprised … It may well convince the European Parliament that it is pointless to approve the trade agreement with the US, since Trump is already bypassing it."
Charlotte Nichols, the Labour MP for Warrington North, said: “Self-determination is a fundamental right for the people of Greenland, and this is a bizarre and dangerous move by the president against US allies at a time we should be united.”
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