Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has stated that a trade war is in “no-one’s interest” after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 10% tax on imports from the UK and other countries who oppose his plans to take control of Greenland.
Speaking from Downing Street, Starmer said the “right approach” was through “calm discussion” and that the use of tariffs against allies was “not the right way to resolve differences”. He reiterated his belief that decisions about the island should rest with the people of Greenland and Denmark, stressing that principles “cannot be set aside”.
However, Starmer vowed to take a “pragmatic” approach, emphasizing both the economic and military importance of the UK-US relationship. He said he did not believe Trump was genuinely considering military action against Greenland, but warned that the situation was “very serious” and called for the “whole country to pull together”.
The Prime Minister defended his decision to pursue a close relationship with Trump, arguing that it had helped deliver “hundreds of billions of pounds” of investment in the UK. He also made repeated references to US-UK cooperation on defence, nuclear capability and intelligence.
When asked about the possibility of imposing retaliatory tariffs on the US, Starmer replied: “We have not got to that stage, my focus is making sure we don’t get to that stage.” He acknowledged that Trump’s threat had been “very badly received” in the UK, but warned against “performative” or “grandstanding” actions that would do nothing for “working people whose jobs, livelihoods and security rely on the relationships we build across the world.”
Starmer’s measured response stands in contrast to the calls from some European leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, to deploy the EU’s “trade bazooka” in retaliation. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of avoiding escalation and maintaining a pragmatic approach to preserve the vital UK-US partnership.