Sir Keir Starmer has told MPs he will not budge over his position on Greenland after Donald Trump threatened tariffs on the UK if it didn’t back him.
The Prime Minister used his sternest words yet to push back against the US President in the House of Commons this afternoon – just over an hour before Trump takes to the stage in Davos.
Starmer told MPs he ‘will not yield’ to the US President over the future of Greenland and will host Danish PM Mette Frederiksen on Thursday.
He said: ‘President Trump deployed words on Chagos yesterday that were different to his previous words of welcome and support, he deployed those words yesterday for the express purpose of putting pressure on me and Britain in relation to my values and principles of a future of Greenland.
‘He wants me to yield on my position, and I’m not going to do so.’
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He said Trump’s dramatic change of mind on the government’s Chagos deal intended to put pressure on him over Greenland.
‘I’ve been absolutely clear on my position on Greenland and my position on tariffs, but it is foolhardy to think that we should rip up our relationship with the US,’ he added.
However, the PM told Lib Dem leader Ed Davey it would be ‘foolhardy’ to ‘rip up our relationship with the US’ over the split.
Starmer made the comments as Trump landed in Davos, Switzerland, where later on he is expected to make a speech to the World Economic Forum.
It is believed that he will use his speech to outline his first year in office since his re-election, as yesterday marked the anniversary of his inauguration.
The world will also be watching to see if he gives any further details on whether or not he plans to launch a military takeover of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
What is happening with Greenland?
Over the weekend, Trump threatened the UK and other European nations with 10% tariffs from February 1 unless they agree to his purchase of Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory.
In response, the PM had a phone conversation with Trump on Sunday, stating this was the ‘wrong’ move, which prompted the US president to launch a blistering attack on Starmer on yesterday morning about the Chagos Islands.
‘Shockingly, our “brilliant” NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER,’ he wrote.
‘The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired. Denmark and its European Allies have to DO THE RIGHT THING.’
It was a sharp U-turn from the President, as last year, he agreed to the terms of the deal.
While Starmer didn’t give a response yesterday, during a White House press conference last night, Trump said he ‘gets along very well’ with Starmer and Macron, though ‘they get a little bit rough when I’m not around’.
During a press conference yesterday, Greenland’s leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen said it was ‘not likely there will be a military conflict in Greenland, but it can’t be ruled out.’
‘That’s why we must be ready for all possibilities, but let’s emphasise this: Greenland is part of NATO and, if there were to be an escalation, it would also have consequences for the rest of the world,’ he added.
Earlier this week, Denmark dispatched soldiers to the territory, while the iPaper revealed the RAF and Navy are poised to join a NATO task force in Greenland.
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