Britain is trying to work its magic on Trump to remove the threat of tariffs on Greenland

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for calm amid heightened tensions between Washington and its European allies after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on a number of countries if he blocked a bid to buy Arctic territory.

At a press conference on Monday, Starmer said Britain valued its long-standing special relationship with the US, but that only Greenland and Denmark could decide the island’s future.

“The right way to approach such an important issue in Greenland is through a calm discussion between allies,” Starmer told a press conference in Downing Street, the prime minister’s official residence.

“But there is a principle that cannot be waived because it depends on how stable and reliable 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 evening and said he was wrong Threatening new tariffs on NATO allies unless they agreed to his demands to “buy” Greenland.

Recommended rates are for Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, UK, Netherlands and Finland. The duty will come on top of existing export tariffs to the US, which are currently 10% for the UK and 15% for the EU.

Over the weekend, Starmer said Britain’s position on Greenland was clear, although he, like other European leaders, sought to reassure Trump that NATO allies must do more together to counter Russian threats in the Arctic.

“Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for Greenlanders and Danes,” Starmer said in a statement released by the British government on Saturday.

“It is absolutely wrong to apply customs duties to allies in order to ensure the collective security of NATO allies. Of course, we will do this directly with the US administration,” he added.

Trump believes that US ownership of Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, will make the world safer and deter Russian and Chinese activity on the Arctic island. Moscow and Beijing denied his claims, while European leaders insisted that Greenland’s future was a matter for the island and Denmark.

European countries are considering retaliatory tariffs and broader economic countermeasures against the US, but Britain has traditionally refrained from threatening retaliatory tariffs.

Starmer reiterated on Monday that using tariffs to solve such a problem was “absolutely wrong” and “not the right way to resolve differences in the union”. “A trade war is not in anyone’s interest,” he said.

However, despite the political differences, the Prime Minister is known to have a warm and friendly relationship with Trump.

It was Great Britain the first country to sign a trade agreement Last year with Washington, mainly because of Trump’s enthusiasm for the country. The US president enjoyed all the luxury and fashion Britain could muster on a state visit last fall.

“The UK and the US are close allies and close partners. This relationship is not only important for our security, but also for the prosperity and stability that people here depend on … we are determined to keep this relationship strong, constructive and results-oriented,” Starmer said on Monday.

But “when things are moving so fast,” he said, “the most important thing is to be clear about the values ​​and motivations that drive us.”

“While we are pragmatic, we will protect these values ​​when it matters.”

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