2026 Row: Keir Starmer Rejects Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threats

Keir Starmer has told Donald Trump that it would be wrong to impose tariffs on allies who oppose a United States takeover of Greenland, after the US president threatened new trade penalties against eight European nations, including the UK.

Keir Starmer

Downing Street said the two leaders spoke by phone on Sunday, their first direct conversation since Trump announced plans to levy a 10% tariff on imports from the eight countries from 1 February, rising to 25% from 1 June, unless they agree to a deal allowing Washington to purchase Greenland.

The White House has stepped up pressure for the US to assume control of the autonomous Danish territory, citing national security concerns. The proposal has alarmed European governments and prompted protests among Greenlanders, while Denmark has insisted the island is not for sale.

Following the call, a Number 10 spokesperson said the prime minister made clear that “security in the high north is a priority for all Nato allies to protect Euro Atlantic interests”, but stressed that “applying tariffs on allies for pursuing collective Nato security is wrong”.

The spokesperson added that Sir Keir had spoken to Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte before his call with Trump, in an effort to coordinate a common response.

Denmark has warned that any attack on Greenland would fatally undermine Nato, while Greenland’s leaders have said they would prefer to remain part of the Danish kingdom rather than become American. The UK and seven other European states backed Denmark in a joint statement on Sunday, saying Trump’s threatened tariffs would “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral”.

The statement, signed by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK, said the countries stood “in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland” and reaffirmed their shared commitment to Arctic security.

Trump has repeatedly argued that Denmark lacks the capacity to defend Greenland against threats from Russia and China. He has not ruled out using force, although his administration has said its preferred option is to buy the territory.

Sir Keir’s intervention represents a rare public rebuke of a US president with whom he has otherwise sought to maintain strong ties. His government has previously acted as a bridge between Washington and European capitals over Ukraine, but has taken a firm stance that Greenland’s future must be decided by its own people.

Earlier on Sunday, the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, described Trump’s tariff threat as “deeply unhelpful and counterproductive”, calling for what she termed an “adult debate” with the White House. She said the UK’s position on Greenland was “non negotiable”.

Criticism of Trump’s move has been widespread across British politics. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel called the tariff threat “completely wrong”, while former chancellor Sir Jeremy Hunt said he doubted Trump would follow through, warning that invading the territory of a Nato ally would effectively end the alliance and weaken the US itself.

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice said that while protecting Greenland’s security was a legitimate aim, Trump’s approach was “completely wrong”. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused the US president of punishing allies “for doing the right thing”, and the Green Party described the threat as unhinged.

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Greenland’s strategic position between North America and the Arctic gives it a key role in missile early warning systems and maritime surveillance. The US already operates a missile monitoring base on the island and, under existing agreements with Denmark, can station additional troops there if it chooses.

Interest in Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals, uranium and iron, has grown as climate change accelerates the melting of its ice sheet, making extraction easier.

European leaders have warned that tariffs would harm both sides of the Atlantic, since the costs are borne by importers and consumers rather than exporting countries. The European Union is now considering retaliatory measures, including reactivating counter tariffs on American goods and potentially deploying its most powerful economic defence tool, the anti coercion instrument, although there is no consensus yet on escalation.

For now, Sir Keir has sought to lower the temperature while drawing a clear line, signalling that the UK will defend Denmark and Greenland’s sovereignty and oppose the use of economic pressure against Nato allies.