LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that calm discussion between allies was needed on Greenland to ensure that historic alliances could endure, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened allies with tariffs to secure the territory.
Starmer told a press conference on Monday that Britain’s alliance with the United States had provided security and prosperity for decades, and said he was determined to maintain those ties.
But he said Trump’s threats to impose escalating tariffs on Britain and European allies until the U.S. was allowed to buy Greenland was wrong. He said the future of Greenland must be decided by Denmark alone.
“Alliances endure because they’re built on respect and partnership, not pressure,” Starmer said.
“That is why I’ve said the use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong. It is not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance.”
He said on Greenland: “the right way to approach an issue of this seriousness is through calm discussion between allies”.
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, writing by Catarina Demony, editing by Sarah Young and Alistair Smout)
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