Donald Trump responded with a brief “no comment” when questioned about the possibility of using military force to acquire Greenland. The US President had previously stated that the US would obtain Greenland ‘one way or another’ and had threatened tariffs against countries opposing his intentions.
In light of Trump’s trade war threats over Greenland, Sir Keir Starmer urged for calm and downplayed the likelihood of a US invasion. The UK Prime Minister emphasized resolving the dispute over Greenland, a territory rich in minerals and strategically located in the Arctic, through peaceful discussions among allies rather than resorting to military actions or trade conflicts.
Trump announced plans to impose a 10% tariff on all goods exported from Britain to the US starting February 1, escalating to 25% by June 1, until an agreement is reached for the US to purchase Greenland from Denmark. Similar tariffs would be applied to other NATO member countries, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland.
Sir Keir expressed skepticism about Trump’s seriousness regarding a potential invasion of Greenland, advocating for diplomatic resolutions through dialogue while condemning the use of tariffs as an inappropriate tactic within alliances. He stressed that decisions regarding Greenland’s sovereignty should be left to Greenland and Denmark, denouncing the imposition of tariffs on allies as unjust and unhelpful in enhancing Greenland’s security.
Addressing the nation in an emergency statement, Sir Keir emphasized unity and stressed the importance of calm discussions among allies to tackle the crisis effectively. He reiterated that the issue of Greenland’s future sovereignty should be determined by Greenland and Denmark alone, emphasizing that employing tariffs against allies undermines alliance unity and is not conducive to resolving disputes.