Sir Keir Starmer told Donald Trump in a phone call on Wednesday that Greenland's future must be determined by the island's inhabitants and Denmark, Downing Street confirmed. The conversation came after the US president repeatedly threatened to take over the semi-autonomous Danish territory, with American officials suggesting military force could be used.
Cabinet minister Pat McFadden described the call as an important part of the US-UK relationship, stressing the value of economic and security cooperation. Separately, Lord Peter Mandelson, the former ambassador to the US, wrote in The Spectator that European nations were engaging in 'histrionics about Greenland' due to 'growing geopolitical impotence', dismissing concerns about sovereignty and arguing for a larger American role in the territory to counter Russia and China.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy is due to meet US Vice-President JD Vance on Thursday, a meeting likely to feature Greenland. The visit coincides with the 250th anniversary of America's declaration of independence from Britain.
The call also covered the seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera in the Atlantic earlier on Wednesday, an operation supported by British armed forces. The capture could heighten tensions with Moscow, as Russia's transport ministry suggested international maritime law may have been breached.
Discussions included continued negotiations on Ukraine, where the UK and France have committed to deploying troops as part of a peace deal, with the US signalling it would provide a security guarantee – a shift from Mr Trump's previous reluctance.
