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The UK government’s position on Greenland is “non-negotiable” and the island’s future is “for the people of Greenland”, a senior minister has told Sky News.
It follows Donald Trump announcing on Saturday he will be imposing 10% tariffs on the UK and other European nations from 1 February, which will then rise to 25% from 1 June, until a deal is reached for Washington to purchase the territory.
The US president said the tariffs “on any and all goods” sent to the US would hit the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland.
Greenland, in the North Atlantic Ocean, is a semi-autonomous region, whose foreign and defence policies are set by Denmark.
But the UK has insisted the US should have no say in Greenland’s future, with Sir Keir Starmer hitting back on Saturday evening that the tariffs are “completely wrong”.
Asked for her reaction to the tariffs, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Sky News: “The prime minister was very clear last night that we believe that this decision on tariffs is completely wrong.
“The future of Greenland is for the people of Greenland and the people of the Kingdom of Denmark to determine and for them alone. We’ve been consistent about that.”
Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, she added: “Our position on Greenland is non-negotiable. We’ve made that very clear. And we’ll continue to make that clear.”
The cabinet minister also insisted the government has conveyed this to their US counterparts, and that she believes the two nations “need to work together – not divide ourselves from one another”.
Challenged on whether she could rule out the UK ever supporting the US purchasing Greenland, Ms Nandy responded that the government “wouldn’t support anything” that Greenlanders would not support.
The senior government minister also refused to say if the UK would impose reciprocal tariffs on the US, arguing that “we have to have good relationships with countries all over the world in order to be able to have those serious conversations about future decisions that the other countries may or may not make”.
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s head of policy, also told Sky News that his party is “gravely concerned” by US tariffs.
“Bigger tariffs, on this country will make it even harder for British manufacturers, even harder for British workers. So we are very, very concerned about it,” he said. “Nigel’s been clear about our concern about this.”
He was also asked by Sir Trevor whether Nigel Farage would be willing to use his longstanding friendship with Mr Trump to pick up the phone and try to ease the tariffs.
Mr Yusuf responded that Reform UK’s leader has not spoken to the president as it is “not his place” as “Sir Keir Starmer is the prime minister of this country”.
Challenged that it could be Mr Farage’s patriotic duty to use his friendship, Mr Yusuf responded: “If the prime minister of this country or the foreign secretary called Nigel and said, could you make that call? I very much doubt he would say no.
“But again, it’s not his place to do that.”
Annalena Baerbock, the president of the United Nations General Assembly, also insisted that it is up to those in Greenland to decide their own future.
She told Sky News: “The right of sovereignty lies with the people in every country, and the people of Greenland, the people of Denmark have been crystal clear about it, that it’s self-determination.”
The former foreign minister of Germany added that “international law is very clear” on sovereignty, and that the UN charter is “crystal clear” about annexation and the use of war.
“It’s forbidden, if not agreed in the international community”, Ms Baerbock said.
EU ambassadors are due to hold an emergency meeting in Brussels at 5pm local time on Sunday, in response to the tariff threat – but it is unclear if the UK will be attending.
