Sir Keir Starmer has condemned Donald Trump’s threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Greenland on the UK and other European allies, calling the move “completely wrong” and warning it undermines NATO unity.
The intervention follows a statement by Donald Trump, who said the United States would impose a 10 percent tariff on goods from the United Kingdom and seven European countries from February 1. The levies would rise to 25 percent on June 1 unless a deal is reached allowing the U.S. to buy Greenland.
Trump said the tariffs would apply to NATO members including the United Kingdom, France and Germany, which have sent troops to the Arctic region amid rising geopolitical tensions. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he accused European countries of traveling to Greenland “for unknown reasons” and described the situation as “very dangerous” for global security.
In his response on Saturday evening, Keir Starmer said the UK’s position was clear.
“Our position on Greenland is very clear, it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes,” he said. “Arctic security is important to all of NATO, and allies should work together to address the growing threat from Russia.”
Starmer added: “Imposing tariffs on allies to ensure the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US government.”
Opposition leaders across Westminster echoed the criticism, warning that the move would harm British businesses and further strain transatlantic relations.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the threat was misguided. “President Trump is completely wrong to announce tariffs on Britain versus Greenland,” she said. “These tariffs will place further burdens on businesses across our country. Only the people of Greenland should decide on Greenland’s sovereignty.”
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said the incident highlighted the fragility of Britain’s relationship with Washington. “Trump is now punishing the UK and NATO allies just because they did the right thing,” he said, calling on Starmer to work more closely with European and Commonwealth partners to fight back.
Even Nigel Farage, a long-time admirer of Trump, acknowledged the potential damage. “We don’t always agree with the US government and certainly not in this case,” he said, adding that the tariffs would “hurt” Britain.
Senior Labor figures also used the moment to call for a reorientation of Britain’s strategic posture. Stella Creasy, the Labor MP for Walthamstow, said Trump’s threats underline the need for closer cooperation with Europe. “If we cannot rely on America and do not want to make friends with China, the answer is to get serious about our strategic future with Europe,” she said.
Former national security adviser Peter Ricketts urged calm diplomacy, telling BBC Radio 4 that European governments should resist escalation and remain committed to NATO’s collective security. He noted that the US maintained a large military presence in Greenland during the Cold War without resorting to economic threats.
“The right path forward is cooperation, not tariffs and bluster,” Ricketts said, adding that any EU response would need to be coordinated at the bloc level, limiting Trump’s ability to target individual member states.
The tariff threat comes at a sensitive time for British companies already struggling with weak growth, high borrowing costs and weak export demand. Any new trade barriers with the US risk increasing this pressure, particularly for manufacturers and exporters who rely on transatlantic markets.
