UK looks to work its magic on Trump to defuse Greenland tariff threat, calling for calm

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for cool heads as tensions rise between Washington and its European allies after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose fresh tariffs on a number of countries if they block his bid to buy the Arctic territory.

In a press conference Monday, Starmer said that Britain greatly values its long-standing special relationship with the U.S., but that only Greenland and Denmark can decide the island’s future.

“On Greenland, the right way to approach an issue of this seriousness is through calm discussion between allies,” Starmer said at a press conference in Downing Street, the PM’s official residence.

“But there is a principle here that cannot be set aside, because it goes to the heart of how stable and trusted international cooperation works, so any decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone,” he added.

Starmer spoke to Trump on Sunday night, telling him he was wrong to threaten to impose fresh tariffs on NATO allies if they didn’t agree to his demands to “buy” Greenland.

The proposed tariffs would target Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K, the Netherlands and Finland. The duties would come on top of existing export tariffs to the U.S., currently standing at 10% for the U.K. and 15% for the EU.

Over the weekend, Starmer said that the U.K.’s position on Greenland was clear, although he, like other European leaders, also looked to appease Trump by saying NATO allies should do more together to address Russian threats across the Arctic.

“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,” Starmer said in a statement released by the British government on Saturday.

“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the U.S. administration,” he added.

Trump contends that U.S. ownership of Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, would make the world safer and deter Russia and Chinese activity in the Arctic island. Moscow and Beijing have dismissed his claims while European leaders insist that Greenland’s future is a matter for the island and Denmark.

European countries are reportedly considering retaliatory levies and wider economic counter-measures against the U.S. but the U.K. has traditionally held off from threatening counter-tariffs.

Starmer said again on Monday that the use of tariffs to resolve such an issue was “completely wrong” and was not “the right way to resolve differences within an alliance.””A trade war is in no one’s interest,” he said.

Still, the PM is known to have a warm and friendly relationship with Trump, despite their political differences.

The U.K. was the first country to strike a trade deal with Washington last year, largely owing to Trump’s apparent warmth toward the country. The U.S. president enjoyed all the pomp and pageantry the U.K. could muster during a state visit last fall.

“The U.K. and the U.S. are close allies and close partners. That relationship matters profoundly, not just to our security, but to the prosperity and stability that people here depend upon … we’re determined to keep that relationship strong, constructive and focused on results,” Starmer said Monday.

But, at a time when “events are moving fast,” he said that “what matters most is being clear about the values and motives that drive us.”

“While we are pragmatic, we are resolute in defending those values when it matters.”

This is a breaking news story, please check for further updates.