By Press Association Reporters/The Independent
Sir Keir Starmer will seek to steady the ship amid a tumultuous rift between Donald Trump and European countries over Greenland as the US President marks one year in the White House.
The Prime Minister will hold talks with ministers at his weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, following his call for calm in response to the US leader’s threats of a trade war.
Yvette Cooper will then face a grilling from MPs during Foreign Office questions in the Commons, where the crisis over the dispute over the mineral-rich Arctic territory is likely to feature high on the agenda.
The US president said on Monday evening he was 100% committed to hitting the UK and European allies with tariffs over their opposition to his plan to annex Greenland.
The dispute caps the first year of Mr Trump’s second presidency, during which Sir Keir has sought to avoid public disagreements with the White House amid strained relations between the US and Europe.
The president has imposed import taxes on foreign nations and argued that Nato allies should increase their contributions to the military bloc.
The Prime Minister’s approach has faced an unprecedented challenge over the last week as the US President heightened his threats to take over Greenland, a semi-autonomous region in the Kingdom of Denmark.
In an emergency press conference in Downing Street on Monday morning, Sir Keir said the future sovereignty of the territory was solely a matter for it and Denmark, adding: “The use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong.“It is not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance, nor is it helpful to frame efforts to strengthen Greenland security as a justification for economic pressure.”
He said the dispute over the territory, which Mr Trump wants to take over because of its strategic Arctic location, should be resolved through “calm discussion between allies” rather than military action.
The US President again refused to rule out using the armed forces to seize the island just hours after Sir Keir’s press conference, during which he played down the prospect of a US invasion of Greenland.
Asked if he would use force to seize Greenland, the president told NBC News: “No comment.”
He also said that he would charge Britain a 10% tariff “on any and all goods” sent to the US from February 1, increasing to 25% from June 1, until a deal is reached for Washington to purchase Greenland from Denmark.
Mr Trump said the same would apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland – all of whom are members of Nato.
Mr Trump is expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week, where Chancellor Rachel Reeves is also due to take part in a panel discussion alongside US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.
A UK delegation will also include Trade Secretary Peter Kyle and Foreign Secretary Ms Cooper, though there are no current plans for Sir Keir to go, it is understood.
Mr Kyle said the Government is having “frank” talks with US officials over the tariff threat and is in regular contact with Mr Lutnick and American trade representative Jamieson Greer.
“We have good, strong relationships. One of the things I’ve enjoyed in getting to know the US administration has been that they are all individual characters and very unique characters,” he said.
However, he added that the UK-US relationship had been “tested” and “of course, we’re having frank conversations.”
“But in my experience, all of the key protagonists in the administration thrive on frank conversations and wouldn’t have it any other way.”
There appeared to be an agreed condemnation of the US president’s latest actions across the political spectrum.
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge told the Press Association it was “absolutely critical” to stand up to Mr Trump’s threats through close engagement with the US administration, adding: “It is totally unacceptable, and I hope the wider American public, congressmen et cetera, recognise that and, of course, the administration.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for a package of tariffs on America coordinated with European allies after branding the US president’s actions “economic thuggery that cannot go unanswered”.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage suggested negotiation was a preferred response to a trade war, but described Mr Trump’s threats of tariffs as “wrong”, and said he would be “having some words with the American administration” about it in Davos.
On Monday, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle welcomed Mike Johnson, the speaker of the US house of representatives, to Parliament.
Mr Johnson will address members of both Houses during an official visit on Tuesday to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.
