British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged calm dialogue to avert a potential trade war with the United States over Greenland, appealing to President Donald Trump to respect NATO alliances rather than undermine them.
Starmer sought to de-escalate tensions after Trump threatened tariffs on imports from Britain and seven other countries unless the United States was allowed to buy Greenland. The prime minister all but ruled out retaliatory measures, stressing that escalation would harm already stretched households. Speaking at a press conference, Starmer defended his approach to Trump amid criticism from opposition politicians, insisting that “pragmatic does not mean being passive”.
After telling Trump that the tariff threats were wrong, Starmer said he would use “the full strength of government” to try to prevent the move. “Tariffs should not be used against allies in this way,” he said, adding that Britain was not seeking a tariff war. “A tariff war is in nobody’s interests, and we have not got to that stage.”
Trump’s threat followed the deployment of small contingents of troops from eight countries to Greenland last week, after he repeated his desire to take over the Danish territory on U.S. security grounds. Starmer said he told Trump the forces were “clearly there to assess and work on risk from the Russians”, adding he hoped there was now “real clarity” on the issue.
The British leader signalled that London’s response would differ from the European Union’s, which has discussed possible retaliation, including tariffs on €93 billion of U.S. imports. Instead, Starmer said Britain would prioritise maintaining a vital relationship with Washington on security, intelligence and defence, while opposing the tariff threat through diplomacy.
He warned the standoff risked a “downward spiral” for trade and alliances, adding, “That doesn’t mean that we put to one side our principles and our values. Quite the contrary.” Starmer said he did not believe Trump was seriously considering military action. “I think that this can be resolved and should be resolved through calm discussion,” he said.
Meanwhile, Denmark said it had dispatched additional troops to Greenland after Trump declined to rule out using force to seize the island. A multinational military exercise led by Danish forces over the weekend prompted Trump to threaten participating countries, including the UK, Germany and France, with an additional 10 per cent tariff from next month.
European officials warned Trump’s tactics could reignite a transatlantic trade war. Germany and France called for a “clear” European response, with German finance minister Lars Klingbeil saying, “We will not be blackmailed.” Brussels has drawn up retaliation options but is holding back its most powerful tool, the anti-coercion instrument, in the hope diplomacy can prevail during talks with Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
European leaders have also signalled a willingness to increase their role in Arctic defence, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte saying discussions with Denmark focused on “our collective security” and boosting key capabilities.
