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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told parliament that the UK will not bow to pressure from US President Donald Trump over the future of Greenland, insisting that threats of tariffs would not force a change in Britain’s position.
Addressing lawmakers on Wednesday, Starmer said the UK would stand by its principles on the status of the autonomous Danish territory, stressing that Greenland’s future should not be shaped by economic coercion.
He also confirmed plans to host Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in London on Thursday.
“I will not yield, Britain will not yield on our principles and values about the future of Greenland under threats of tariffs, and that is my clear position.”
Trump has warned of possible tariffs on Britain and other European nations that oppose his push for US control of Greenland.
During the parliamentary session, Starmer also faced criticism from opposition leader Kemi Badenoch over Trump’s condemnation of the UK’s agreement to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing a joint US-UK military base there.
Trump had reportedly described the deal as “deeply foolish” in a social media post earlier this week.
Responding, Starmer said the comments were intended to pressure him on both the Chagos deal and Greenland, noting that the two issues were raised together by the US president. He added that the Greenland question had become a defining global issue with serious implications.
The prime minister further reiterated that decisions over Greenland’s future rest solely with Greenland and Denmark, and not with outside powers.
“The words from President Trump were expressly intended to put pressure on me to yield on my principles. What he said about Chagos was literally in the same sentence as what he said about Greenland. That was his purpose.
“And the future of Greenland is a binary issue that is splitting the world at the moment, with material consequences. I’ve been clear and consistent in my position on the future of Greenland. The future is for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone,” he said.
