NAIROBI, Kenya- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it is “completely wrong” to impose tariffs on allies, after US President Donald Trump said he would impose additional levies on the United Kingdom and several other countries that oppose his plan to acquire Greenland.
“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’s security as a justification for economic pressure,” Starmer said Monday at a news conference in Downing Street.
Stressing that the UK and US remain “close partners,” Starmer said he needed to set out a principle “that cannot be set aside, because it goes to the heart of how stable and trusted international cooperation works.”
As Prime Minister, I will always act in the United Kingdom’s national interest.
“Any decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the people of Denmark alone. That right is fundamental, and we support it,” the prime minister said.
Starmer said that “a trade war is in no one’s interest,” and that he had spoken to Trump and European leaders on Sunday “to find a solution rooted in partnership, facts and mutual respect.”
On Saturday, Trump said he will charge an additional 10% tariff on goods from the UK and several other European countries from February 1.
