Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned that the use of trade tariffs against allied nations is \u201ccompletely wrong\u201d, after US President Donald Trump said he would impose sweeping import taxes on countries opposing his proposal for the United States to acquire Greenland, according to Downing Street.<\/p>\n
President Trump has said the United States requires the \u201ccomplete and total purchase\u201d of Greenland for security reasons, with the White House stating that the territory is essential to both American and global security. On Saturday, he announced plans to introduce a 10 percent tariff on imports from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland by 1 February, rising to 25 percent by 1 June.<\/p>\n
Addressing the nation, Starmer sought to balance continued engagement with Washington alongside a firm defence of allied sovereignty and international norms. He said that while circumstances change, the values guiding UK foreign policy do not.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat matters most is being clear about the values and the interests that guide us even as circumstances change,\u201d he said. \u201cOur values were not improvised. They were built patiently over time, and while we are pragmatic in how we pursue our interests, we are resolute in defending those values when it matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prime minister underlined the depth of the UK\u2013US relationship, describing it as central to national security, economic stability and prosperity. He said that under President Trump, as with previous administrations, the government remained determined to keep the relationship constructive and focused on tangible outcomes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have seen significant US investment into the UK economy running into hundreds of billions of pounds supporting growth, skills and jobs right across the country,\u201d Starmer said. \u201cOur cooperation on defence, nuclear capability and intelligence remains as close and effective as anywhere in the world, keeping Britain safe in an increasingly dangerous environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that sustained diplomatic engagement had already delivered results in key industrial sectors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have secured good trading terms in cars, steel, aerospace and life sciences, protecting British jobs and manufacturers,\u201d he said, stressing that regular direct contact with the White House and senior US officials remained essential.<\/p>\n
Turning to Greenland, Starmer acknowledged the growing strategic importance of the Arctic as climate change reshapes global geography and competition intensifies in the High North. He said this would require increased investment and stronger collective defence through NATO, with the United States playing a central role.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe security of Greenland matters, and it will matter more as sea routes open and strategic competition intensifies,\u201d he said. \u201cThe high north will require greater attention, greater investment and stronger collective defence.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, the prime minister drew a clear line on sovereignty, stating that decisions over Greenland\u2019s future could not be imposed externally.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone,\u201d he said. \u201cThat right is fundamental, and we support it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Starmer described Denmark as a close NATO ally that has repeatedly stood alongside the UK, including at significant human cost in recent conflicts, and said alliances endure through respect and partnership rather than coercion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is why I said the use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance, nor is it helpful to frame efforts to strengthen Greenland\u2019s security as justification for economic pressure.\u201d He warned that such measures would directly harm working people in the UK. \u201cSuch measures hurt British workers, British businesses and the British economy,\u201d Starmer said, adding that a trade war would serve no nation\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n
The prime minister confirmed that he had spoken with President Trump, European leaders and the NATO Secretary General in an effort to pursue a solution grounded in dialogue.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy job is always to act in the UK\u2019s national interest,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is why I spoke yesterday to President Trump, to European leaders and to the Secretary General of NATO to find a solution rooted in partnership, facts and mutual respect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Starmer also addressed wider international crises, saying the government strongly supported efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and remained open to constructive engagement on Ukraine. He said the UK recognised President Trump\u2019s role in pushing diplomatic processes forward and would continue working with allies to apply pressure on Russia. \u201cWe will work closely with the United States, Ukraine and our other allies to apply pressure where it belongs, on Putin,\u201d he said. Linking global events to domestic impacts, Starmer argued that geopolitics directly affects everyday life in the UK, shaping energy prices, food costs and job security.<\/p>\n
\u201cGeopolitics is not something that happens somewhere else,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen war drives up fuel prices, it\u2019s households who feel it first. When supply chains fracture, it\u2019s small businesses and working people who absorb the shock.\u201d He said the government\u2019s approach was rooted in active engagement at home and abroad, combining economic stability with strong alliances and adherence to international law.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing pragmatic does not mean being passive. A partnership does not mean abandoning principle,\u201d Starmer said.<\/p>\n
Concluding his address, the prime minister called for national unity and rejected what he described as performative politics, arguing that gestures and slogans do little to protect jobs or security. \u201cWe will work with our allies in Europe, across NATO and with the United States,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will keep dialogue open, defend international law, and use the full strength of government to protect the security, living standards and future of the British people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned that the use of trade tariffs against allied nations is \u201ccompletely wrong\u201d,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":378282,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,57,58,50,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-378281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","tag-gb","tag-great-britain","tag-greatbritain","tag-news","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=378281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378281\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/378282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=378281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=378281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=378281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}