House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he aims to “calm the situation” over President Donald Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland during his current trip to the United Kingdom.
Tensions between the US, Greenland and Europe have reached a boiling point as the president threatens to impose tariffs on eight European countries and has refused to rule out military force in his pursuit to gain control of Denmark’s self-governing territory.
During an interview on British politician Nigel Farage’s GB News show Monday, Johnson said his role in this global fissure is to keep everyone calm.
Farage, a longstanding ally of Trump, warned that the president’s actions threaten the North American-European military alliance of NATO, of which the U.S. and Denmark are members.
“ This is serious and you’re here about to speak before Parliament. Is there nothing that can be done here?” Farage, leader of the Reform Party, asked Johnson.
Johnson replied: “ I'm here to encourage our friends and calm the situation. Maybe it's providential that I happen to be here right now. This was not planned,” adding, “ I think we're gonna get beyond this little rift.”
The Louisiana Republican said he doesn’t think NATO is threatened and said Trump “greatly values” the alliance.
Johnson will be the first sitting house speaker to address the Parliament in London on Tuesday. His address is in honor of America’s 250th anniversary and was announced earlier this month.
“The U.S. and the UK have stood together as pillars of peace and security across generations,” Johnson said when announcing the trip. “We forged this important friendship in the great wars of the 20th century, but the true source of our strength comes from our shared commitment to individual freedom, human dignity, and the rule of law, which together form the exceptional, joint heritage of the English-speaking world.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also called to calm the tensions between the U.S. and the U.K., saying that “a trade war is in no one’s interests.”
“The use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong,” Starmer said during an emergency press conference Monday. “Any decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone.”
Starmer added that the “right way to approach an issue of this seriousness is through calm discussion between allies.”
