Wes Streeting, the UK cabinet minister, has candidly outlined the dilemma facing Britain and Europe in dealing with Donald Trump: balancing the defence of international law with the need to avoid provoking the US president. His comments came as Sir Keir Starmer joined world leaders in Paris for talks involving the Trump administration.
Streeting acknowledged that the prime minister carefully chooses his words and actions to prioritise national interest, even if that means downplaying legal concerns over US actions such as the military strike on Venezuela. The capture of President Nicolas Maduro is seen as a fait accompli, with little scope for reversal.
There is genuine anxiety that Trump might order military intervention in Greenland, a sovereign territory of a Nato ally. Europe and the UK lack the military or economic leverage to respond effectively; sanctions would be crippling, and trade war is not an option. Any incursion would likely provoke diplomatic protests but little concrete action.
The Paris summit also focuses on a coalition for Ukraine, where a US-brokered peace deal is seen as essential. Europe is too weak to act alone, and must persuade the US to be tough on Russia despite domestic economic concerns. Starmer is viewed as the 'Trump whisperer' among European leaders, able to influence the US president.
In the longer term, Europe must bolster its own military and economic resilience, reducing reliance on the US. The UK faces a choice between aligning with EU allies or remaining as a junior partner to a belligerent America, a decision that may crystallise in the coming years.
