Keir Starmer ‘will stand up for UK national interests’ against Trump in Greenland tariff row

Donald Trump threatened to hit the UK and other European countries with a 10 per cent tariff “on any and all goods” sent to the US from February 1

Sir Kier Starmer said he would stand up for the UK’s “national interests” as he addressed the nation over Donald Trump’s tariff row. He also said a trade war is “not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance” when asked about hitting the US with reciprocal tariffs.

The Prime Minister called the Greenland threat a “moment for the whole country to pull together” at a Downing Street press conference today (January 19). He said the “right way to approach an issue of this seriousness is through calm discussion between allies”, according to the Daily Star.

Starmer said: “Any decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone. That right is fundamental.

“The use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong. It is not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance, nor is it helpful to frame efforts to strengthen Greenland security as a justification for economic pressure.”

Trump continues to threaten nations over Greenland and even sent a letter to the Prime Minster of Norway telling him he no longer feels an obligation to peace’ in a leaked letter. In his Truth Social post on the weekend, the US President plans to hit the UK and other European countries with a 10% tariff “on any and all goods” sent to the US from February 1.

Trump also threatened to increase this further to 25% from June 1, until a deal is reached to buy Greenland. He accused several European countries of “playing a dangerous game”.

Starmer said he will speak to the US president about Greenland again “in the coming days”. The PM said: “I spoke to President Trump yesterday, as I think you all know, and I’ll no doubt speak to him again in coming days.

“Our offices talk all the time, but we must find a pragmatic, sensible, sustained way through this that avoids some of the consequences that will be very serious for our country.”