UK looks to work its magic on Trump to defuse Greenland tariff threat, calling for calm

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for chill heads arsenic tensions emergence betwixt Washington and its European allies aft U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to enforce caller tariffs connected a fig of countries if they artifact his bid to bargain the Arctic territory.

In a property league Monday, Starmer said that Britain greatly values its long-standing peculiar narration with the U.S., but that lone Greenland and Denmark tin determine the island's future.

"On Greenland, the close mode to attack an contented of this seriousness is done calm treatment betwixt allies," Starmer said at a property league successful Downing Street, the PM's authoritative residence.

"But determination is simply a rule present that cannot beryllium acceptable aside, due to the fact that it goes to the bosom of however unchangeable and trusted planetary practice works, truthful immoderate determination astir the aboriginal presumption of Greenland belongs to the radical of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone," helium added.

Starmer spoke to Trump connected Sunday night, telling him helium was incorrect to endanger to enforce caller tariffs connected NATO allies if they didn't hold to his demands to "buy" Greenland.

The projected tariffs would people Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K, the Netherlands and Finland. The duties would travel connected apical of existing export tariffs to the U.S., presently lasting astatine 10% for the U.K. and 15% for the EU.

Over the weekend, Starmer said that the U.K.'s presumption connected Greenland was clear, though he, similar different European leaders, besides looked to appease Trump by saying NATO allies should bash much unneurotic to code Russian threats crossed the Arctic.

"Our presumption connected Greenland is precise wide – it is portion of the Kingdom of Denmark and its aboriginal is simply a substance for the Greenlanders and the Danes," Starmer said successful a connection released by the British authorities connected Saturday.

"Applying tariffs connected allies for pursuing the corporate information of NATO allies is wholly wrong. We volition of people beryllium pursuing this straight with the U.S. administration," helium added.

Trump contends that U.S. ownership of Greenland, which is portion of the Kingdom of Denmark, would marque the satellite safer and deter Russia and Chinese enactment successful the Arctic island. Moscow and Beijing person dismissed his claims portion European leaders importune that Greenland's aboriginal is simply a substance for the land and Denmark.

European countries are reportedly considering retaliatory levies and wider economical counter-measures against the U.S. but the U.K. has traditionally held disconnected from threatening counter-tariffs.

Starmer said again connected Monday that the usage of tariffs to resoluteness specified an contented was "completely wrong" and was not "the close mode to resoluteness differences wrong an alliance.""A commercialized warfare is successful nary one's interest," helium said.

Still, the PM is known to person a lukewarm and affable narration with Trump, contempt their governmental differences.

The U.K. was the first state to onslaught a commercialized deal with Washington past year, mostly owing to Trump's evident warmth toward the country. The U.S. president enjoyed each the pomp and pageantry the U.K. could muster during a authorities sojourn past fall.

"The U.K. and the U.S. are adjacent allies and adjacent partners. That narration matters profoundly, not conscionable to our security, but to the prosperity and stableness that radical present beryllium upon ... we're determined to support that narration strong, constructive and focused connected results," Starmer said Monday.

But, astatine a clip erstwhile "events are moving fast," helium said that "what matters astir is being wide astir the values and motives that thrust us."

"While we are pragmatic, we are resolute successful defending those values erstwhile it matters."

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