Britain rejects Trump's pressure to annex Greenland and tariff threats
In a notable escalation of transatlantic relations, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed his country's firm stance against pressure from US President Donald Trump regarding the future of Greenland, stressing that the United Kingdom will not yield to threats of tariffs in exchange for abandoning its diplomatic principles.
Starmer: Principles are not negotiable
In a firm address to the British Parliament on Wednesday, Starmer stated that he would not, under any circumstances, comply with Trump's demands regarding the annexation of the self-governing Danish territory of Greenland. The Prime Minister explained: "I will not back down, and Britain will not compromise its principles and values on the future of Greenland under the threat of tariffs. That is my clear position.".
These remarks come ahead of Starmer hosting his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen in London, in a move seen as a strong message of solidarity with Denmark in the face of American ambitions to take over the Arctic island.
Background of American ambitions in Greenland
Trump's desire to control Greenland is not a recent development. During his first term in office in 2019, he sparked widespread controversy when he expressed interest in purchasing the island, a proposal that was met with staunch rejection from the Danish government, which described the idea as "absurd." Greenland holds paramount strategic importance for the United States, not only because of its vital geographic location in the Arctic, an area witnessing increasing international competition among major powers (Russia, China, and NATO), but also because it hosts the Thule Air Base and possesses vast natural resources of rare earth minerals.
Chagos Islands pressure paper
The controversy wasn't limited to Greenland; it extended to the Chagos Islands. Starmer faced internal criticism from the leader of the opposition Conservative Party, Kemi Paddenock, who cited Trump's scathing attack on the agreement Starmer's government made to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius.
Trump had described the agreement, which saw the archipelago handed over while Britain and the United States retained the right to use the strategic military base at Diego Garcia for 99 years, as “a big fool.” Starmer believes the connection between the two issues is not arbitrary, telling MPs: “President Trump’s words were clearly intended to pressure me into compromising my principles. What he said about Chagos was literally in the same sentence he used when he spoke about Greenland.”.
Potential geopolitical repercussions
This public dispute highlights the challenges that the “special relationship” between Washington and London may face under Trump’s protectionist policies. The threat of imposing tariffs on Britain and other European countries as a tool of political pressure to achieve regional gains puts the British and European economies to the test and reshapes traditional alliances within NATO, particularly concerning Arctic security and the sovereignty of member states.
