17 godzin temu
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has reaffirmed that Greenland's future must rest solely with its people and Denmark, amid escalating tensions over US President Donald Trump's threats to "acquire" the semi-autonomous Danish territory. The stance comes after multiple calls between Starmer and Trump, and as UK politicians demand a stronger response to what some call "American aggression."
Starmer spoke with Trump on Wednesday and again on Thursday about Greenland. He also held discussions with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday afternoon. US officials have suggested Washington could use "military means" to take control of the Arctic territory, which Trump claims is vital for national security.
The diplomatic row has exposed divisions within UK politics over how forcefully to challenge the US President. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden defended the transatlantic alliance. «The United States is a reliable ally. We believe that to be the case, we see that every day,» he told Sky News. «But we also know the world is changing and we've got to step up, and Europe's got to step up.»
Calls for tougher stance
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan broke ranks, urging Starmer to "stand up" to Trump over both Greenland and recent US military action in Venezuela, where American forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro last week. «I think you have to stand up when a line is crossed with international law, and I think that has happened,» Morgan told BBC Radio Cymru.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey went further, calling on the Prime Minister to rule out allowing the US to use British military bases for any attack on Greenland. The UK «must never play midwife to American aggression directed against our Nato allies,» Davey said. Downing Street declined to comment, calling the demand "slightly hypothetical."
Scottish MPs Brendan O'Hara and Brian Leishman also urged stronger action. Leishman condemned what he called "pure American imperialism" and warned: «Trump will not stop. Greenland, Panama, Mexico have all been threatened.»
Denmark's prime minister has warned that any US takeover of Greenland would spell the end of the Nato alliance.
Mandelson defends Trump approach
In a controversial intervention, Lord Peter Mandelson criticized European leaders' response to the Greenland situation. Writing in The Spectator, the former UK ambassador to the US accused Europe of «histrionics about Greenland» driven by «growing geopolitical impotence.»
Mandelson, who was sacked as ambassador last year over his connections with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, called for a "considerably beefed-up role" for the US in Greenland to counter threats from Russia and China. He dismissed concerns about sovereignty and Nato's future as "performative."
The lifelong Labour figure argued that Trump's "decisive approach" was preferable to "hand-wringing and analysis paralysis" from previous administrations.
High-level diplomacy continues
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy met with US Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Thursday. Vance advised European leaders to take Trump's Greenland concerns seriously, warning that if Europe doesn't prioritize the region's security, «the United States is going to have to do something about it.»
The meeting came as part of Lammy's visit to mark the 250th anniversary of America's declaration of independence from Britain. Lammy and Vance are long-standing friends, with Lammy having hosted Vance and his family last year at Chevening, his grace-and-favour house in Kent.
Earlier this week, the UK and European allies pledged to defend Greenland's territorial integrity, a statement widely seen as directed at Washington.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
