Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has described Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on the UK and other Nato allies over Greenland as “completely wrong”. The US president announced that a 10% tariff would apply from 1 February to Nato members, including the UK, France and Germany, rising to 25% by 1 June if a deal to buy Greenland is not reached.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump accused the countries of having “journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown” and claimed it posed a “very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet”. The prime minister responded by stating that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and that its future is a matter for Greenlanders and Danes. He added that Arctic security is vital for Nato and that applying tariffs to allies for pursuing collective security is “completely wrong”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the tariffs were “completely wrong” and would burden UK businesses. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey accused Mr Trump of being a “bully” and called on the prime minister to stand firm. Reform leader Nigel Farage acknowledged the tariffs would “hurt” the UK, while Labour MP Stella Creasy argued for closer ties with Europe. Former national security adviser Lord Ricketts advised a calm response, noting that the EU has a single tariff structure and that European leaders should encourage cooperation on Arctic security.
