UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet his Danish counterpart a day after Donald Trump backed down on his threat to impose tariffs on the UK and other NATO allies who opposed his ambitions to annex Greenland.
The U.S. president rowed back on his threats on Wednesday evening after a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
The pair met on the fringes of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where they “formed the framework of a future deal” on Arctic security.
The announcement came at the end of a tumultuous day for NATO’s European members after Mr Trump ruled out the use of force to secure Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark.
He had threatened eight NATO countries, including the UK, with new 10 per cent tariffs in response to their opposition to his ambitions for the mineral-rich territory.
But after what he described as a “very productive meeting” with Rutte in Davos, Trump suggested he had reconsidered.
On his Truth Social platform, the U.S. president said, “We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland, and in fact, the entire Arctic Region.
“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America and all NATO Nations. Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1.”
Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, said the day was “ending on a better note than it began”.
He added, “Now, let’s sit down and find out how we can address the American security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the KoD (Kingdom of Denmark).”
Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, will visit Britain on Thursday to meet Mr Starmer, when Greenland’s sovereignty is likely to be on the agenda.
There were few details of any agreement Mr Trump and the NATO chief may have reached on Wednesday evening.
The U.S. president told reporters it was a “long-term deal” and an “infinite deal”, but would not directly answer if the agreement meant the U.S. would gain ownership of Greenland.
UK government insiders appeared content that Mr Starmer’s approach, calling for calm heads and diplomacy, rather than launching attacks on Mr Trump, had been vindicated.
In his most open statement of opposition to the U.S. president yet, the UK prime minister told the House of Commons on Wednesday he would “not yield” in his stance over Greenland and vowed to stand up to Mr Trump.
(PA Media/dpa/NAN)
