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Kate WhannelPolitical reporter
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said a trade war is in “no-one’s interest” after Donald Trump threatened to impose a 10% tax on imports from the UK and other countries who oppose his plans to take control of Greenland.
Making a speech in Downing Street, Sir Keir said the “right approach” was “through calm discussion” and that the use of tariffs against allies was “not the right way to resolve differences”.
He reiterated his belief that decisions about the island should rest with the people of Greenland and Denmark.
Principle “cannot be set aside”, he said, but he vowed to take a “pragmatic” approach, emphasising both the economic and military importance of the UK-US relationship.
While seeking to diffuse tensions, the prime minister stressed the situation was “very serious” and that it was a “moment for the whole country to pull together”.
He welcomed the support he had received from the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch on the issue of Greenland and, seeking to calm some discussions, criticised those who “think an angry social media post or grandstanding is a substitute for hard work”.
“It may make politicians feel good, but it does nothing for working people whose jobs, livelihoods and security rely on the relationships we build across the world.”
Defending his decision to pursue a close relationship with Trump, the prime minister said it had delivered “hundreds of billions of pounds” of investment in the UK.
Asked if he would consider imposing retaliatory tariffs, the prime minister replied: “We have not got to that stage, my focus is making sure we don’t get to that stage.”
European leaders are expected to raise the future of Greenland with Trump this week when he travels to Davos for the World Economic Forum gathering.
The prime minister is not currently due to attend but it remains an option as the week progresses.
Over the weekend, a small French military contingent travelled to Greenland as part of a so-called reconnaissance mission. The deployment also involved Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK.
Asked if Trump had incorrectly interpreted the visit as a hostile act towards the US, Sir Keir said: “This is one of the thing I discussed with President Trump yesterday.
“Those forces were clearly there to assess and work on the risk from the Russians – there is real clarity, I hope, about that.”
Earlier in the news conference, Sir Keir said Europe needed “to step up and do more on its own defence and security”.
The US president has partly justified his interest in controlling Greenland by arguing that Denmark had not done enough to protect the area from Russian threats.
Located between North America and the Arctic, Greenland is a useful base for early warning systems for missile attacks as well as monitoring vessels in the region.
It is also a potential source of rare earth minerals as well as oil and gas, all of which could become more accessible as global warming leads to the melting of the ice sheet that covers the island.
Trump has said “complete and total purchase” of the Danish territory is essential for US and global security.
“If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will take Greenland,” he has warned.
On Saturday he said he would place a 10% levy on goods exported to the US from the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland.
The tax would come into force from 1 February, rising to 25% on 1 June.
If Trump does follow through on his threat to impose tariffs it could be damaging to the UK economy, whose biggest overseas customer, in terms of individual companies, is the US.
Economists have estimates the new tariffs could take 0.5% off GDP.
Over the weekend, Badenoch said she agreed with the prime minister on the sovereignty of Greenland adding that tariff threats are “a terrible idea”.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has also condemned the threat of tariffs saying they should “not be a bargaining chip in place of reasonable dialogue between partners”.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey – who has repeatedly criticised the prime minister’s efforts to pursue a close relationship with the US president – urged the government to “get tough on Donald Trump” adding: “If you do that, he has a history of backing down.”
“Unfortunately up until now our government has rolled over.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “This is not how you treat your best friends”, adding that he would be “having some words” with members of Trump’s team when he travels to Davos this week.
He said he that Brexit meant the UK were “free to negotiate directly” with the US.
