UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has firmly rejected US President Donald Trump’s pressure over the future of Greenland, stating in Parliament on Wednesday that Britain would not be swayed by threats of tariffs.
“I will not yield, and Britain will not yield on our principles and values regarding the future of Greenland, despite any threats of tariffs,” Starmer declared, adding that he would meet with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in London on Thursday to discuss the matter.
Trump has previously threatened to impose tariffs on Britain and other European nations for opposing his claims over Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
In addition, Starmer faced taunts from Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch in Parliament regarding Trump’s criticism of a British deal involving the Chagos Islands. Under the agreement, the UK will hand over the archipelago, located approximately 2,000 kilometers northeast of Mauritius, to Mauritius, while the US-UK military base there will continue to operate under a lease for a century. Trump called the deal an act of “great stupidity” on social media.
Starmer responded, emphasizing that Trump’s remarks were designed to pressure him into changing his stance on both Greenland and the Chagos Islands. “The words from President Trump were explicitly intended to put pressure on me to yield on my principles. His comments about Chagos and Greenland were made in the same breath, with the clear intention of applying pressure,” Starmer said.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed his position, stating, “The future of Greenland is a binary issue that is splitting the world right now, with real-world consequences. I have been consistent in my position its future should be determined by Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone.”
