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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has openly criticized former President Donald Trump’s announcement of imposing tariffs on the UK and several European allies, calling the plan “completely wrong.” Trump declared on Saturday that starting from 1 February, the US would enforce a 10% tariff on all goods imported from these nations, which would increase to 25% from 1 June if no deal is reached regarding the US acquiring Greenland. Despite maintaining a generally positive relationship with Trump, Sir Keir emphasized that the UK would address these new tariffs directly with the White House.
The Trump administration’s push for the US to take control of Greenland—a Danish territory strategically located in the Arctic—has raised concerns among European allies and inhabitants of the island. The US president has justified the move on national security grounds, arguing that Greenland’s position is crucial for defense and monitoring. Trump confirmed that similar tariffs would also impact exports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland. Although the UK was the first country to negotiate a rollback of some earlier US tariffs and has played a mediating role between the US and Europe in the Ukrainian conflict, Starmer recently supported Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland. Several European countries, including the UK, sent troops to Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, as part of a reconnaissance mission amid increased tensions.
Sir Keir reiterated that the future of Greenland should be determined solely by Denmark and Greenland themselves, stressing that the region’s security is vital for all NATO members, who must work together to counter threats, particularly from Russia in the Arctic. He strongly condemned the idea of imposing tariffs on NATO allies engaged in collective security efforts. “Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of Nato allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration,” he said. This stance signals the UK’s willingness to contribute more to Arctic security, akin to the additional financial commitments European countries have made toward the conflict in Ukraine. However, it also marks a rare moment of public disagreement with the US president and poses a challenge to the traditionally close US-UK relationship.
The tariff threat has been met with criticism from various UK political leaders. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called it a “terrible idea” that would place further strain on British businesses, agreeing with Starmer that Greenland’s sovereignty “should only be decided by the people of Greenland.” Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described Starmer’s US policy as “in tatters,” accusing Trump of penalizing the UK and its NATO allies for making the right decisions. Nigel Farage, a former Trump ally, stated that while disagreement with the US government is natural, these tariffs would be harmful to the UK. Ellie Chowns, parliamentary leader for the Green Party, labeled the decision “unhinged,” accusing Trump of bullying other countries on the international stage.
Trump has maintained that Greenland is essential to US national security, a position he reinforced shortly after starting his second term as president. Greenland’s Arctic location makes it significant for missile early warning systems and monitoring maritime activity. The US currently has over 100 military personnel based at a missile-monitoring station in Greenland and has existing agreements with Denmark allowing for troop deployment as needed. Besides military interests, Greenland’s natural resources—including rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron—have gained attention as climate change makes them more accessible. Although Trump has not ruled out military action, his recent social media posts focused on negotiating the “complete and total purchase” of Greenland, highlighting concerns that Russia and China also eye the territory. He downplayed Denmark’s defensive capacity, sarcastically noting that Denmark “currently have two dogsleds as protection.”
Denmark has firmly stated that Greenland is not for sale and warned that any attack on its territory would result in the collapse of NATO. Despite Greenland’s ongoing moves toward independence, it has expressed a preference to remain part of Denmark rather than become a US possession. The tariffs announced by Trump are taxes on imported goods paid by companies importing those goods rather than directly by the exporting countries. However, these levies can negatively impact exporters by making their products less competitive, often pushing costs onto consumers. William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chamber of Commerce, described the new tariffs as “more bad news” for UK exporters already burdened by existing levies. He urged the government to negotiate calmly to prevent these tariffs from taking effect, emphasizing that successful transatlantic trade relies on reducing, not raising, tariffs
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