A grave PM sets out scale of Greenland crisis

An exigency quality league successful the Downing Street briefing country and the premier curate the gravest I've seen.

He came to level with the nationalist astir the predicament we are in, and the consequences for america each should President Donald Trump travel done connected his menace to slap tariffs connected the UK and instrumentality power of Greenland.

He near the assemblage successful nary uncertainty that we are facing the astir superior situation successful the transatlantic narration successful decades, with immense uncertainty astir what comes next.

Sir Keir Starmer was the astir forthright I person seen him arsenic helium broke with President Trump, powerfully criticising tariffs and insisting that connected the substance of Greenland, the UK would not bend, immoderate the consequences arsenic helium reminded the US that alliances were built connected partnership, "not pressure".

But the premier curate besides utilized this infinitesimal to effort to de-escalate, arsenic helium stressed the value of the US-UK narration and dodged the substance of retaliatory tariffs successful an effort to debar immoderate further poking of the bear.

It doesn't, by the way, mean the UK has ruled this enactment retired - alternatively it is not a preferred solution and London would alternatively speech astir different options. But the UK pointedly chose successful this infinitesimal not to travel the EU by raising the imaginable of retaliatory tariffs. That EU package, I'm told, could beryllium released connected Thursday.

As I recognize it, the premier curate is besides "very unlikely" to be Davos this week, fixed that determination is nary large acceptable pieces connected multilateral issues - beryllium that Ukraine oregon Greenland, for now, that are apt to beryllium resolved.

Instead, Keir Starmer volition property connected with his preferred method - talking intensely down closed doors portion saying arsenic small arsenic imaginable successful public.

Danish curate reveals extent of rift

But if the premier curate doesn't privation to uncover what is being said successful private, the gravity of this rupture successful the transatlantic confederation was laid bare by the Danish overseas curate and erstwhile premier minister, Lars Rasmussen - successful London for talks with the overseas caput - arsenic helium recounted the gathering he'd had with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio successful Washington past week.

"The gathering we had past week near maine with the wide content that the president, honestly and full-heartedly, wants to get Greenland. But we besides made it crystal wide that this is simply a reddish line," helium told maine successful an interrogation aft his gathering with Yvette Cooper.

"We agreed to disagree. The concerns raised astatine the gathering and besides successful public, astir information successful the Arctic - [Trump's] concerns - we privation to accommodate. Therefore, we agreed that we should determination this dialog from societal media and Truth Social and different arenas into a gathering country wherever we could sermon whether determination could beryllium a solution gathering connected what we already person agreed successful the past."

Up for treatment was the US massively expanding its beingness successful Greenland, and the stepping up of NATO connected the island, arsenic good arsenic guarantees stopping immoderate beingness of China successful Greenland stretching retired for 10, 20 oregon 30 years.

"I thought, we person managed not to lick the problem, but to find a pathway forward. It was disrupted by the connection from the president. And that's a world of life," said Mr Rasmussen, arsenic helium spoke of his appreciation of the UK and different allies coming to basal by the Danes' side.

Bur what it besides reveals is the extent of this transatlantic rift implicit Greenland.

Hours aft the premier curate suggested helium didn't deliberation President Trump would nonstop successful troops to Greenland and called connected the US to resoluteness these differences done dialogue, the US president told reporters helium would enforce 10% tariffs connected the UK and different European countries that had sent troops to Greenland for a NATO workout past week, and refused to regularisation retired subject force.

Congress could beryllium Europe's past anticipation to rein successful Trump

That we are successful this concern a twelvemonth into the Trump presidency is shocking and bewildering. For decades, the transatlantic confederation has framed our satellite order. Now that is being undone arsenic President Trump exercises the instrumentality of powerfulness alternatively than moving successful the regularisation of instrumentality that has governed planetary relations since the Second World War.

Escalation successful Greenland would rupture the NATO confederation should the starring subordinate determination straight into struggle with different partner, the Danes, who stood with the US aft 9/11, suffering akin amounts of casualties to the US successful Afghanistan.

It would trigger a commercialized warfare that would bash each of america harm. It could effect successful the US withdrawing from Ukraine and embolden a Russian aggressor connected the borderline of Europe. The consequences are arsenic unimaginable arsenic they are serious.

But ultimately, President Trump knows helium has the economical and subject powerfulness to look down Europe, and it volition instrumentality much than European diplomacy to transportation him to backmost down.

With the US president owed astatine the yearly World Economic Forum acme successful Davos connected Wednesday, immense attraction volition beryllium paid to what helium has to accidental successful Switzerland - but it volition beryllium backmost successful Washington wherever the quality mightiness beryllium made, arsenic Mr Trump draws occurrence backmost location from Republicans successful Congress.

If the Europeans can't rein him in, volition his home lawmakers?

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson met with Sir Keir successful London connected Monday, with the premier curate reiterating his presumption connected Greenland and tariffs.

The champion anticipation the Europeans person is to transportation Congress to act. The transatlantic narration is, aft all, bigger and much enduring than 1 man.