British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has firmly rejected pressure from US President Donald Trump over the future of Greenland, declaring that the UK “will not yield” to threats of economic retaliation.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Starmer condemned Trump’s reported warning that he would impose 10% tariffs on European countries that oppose his plan to take control of Greenland.
“I will not yield. Britain will not yield on our principles and values about the future of Greenland under threats of tariffs,” Starmer told MPs, describing the tariff threats as “completely wrong”.
The issue was raised by Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who pressed the prime minister on Trump’s stance. Badenoch acknowledged that she agreed with Starmer that Greenland’s future should be decided solely by its people, but questioned whether Trump shared that view.
However, Badenoch went on to criticise the government’s position on the Chagos Islands, accusing it of inconsistency. She said that while the government was resisting pressure over Greenland, it was “giving away territory that we own, and paying £35bn for the privilege” in relation to Chagos.
The exchange followed Trump’s apparent change of position on the UK’s plan to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while leasing back the UK–US military base on Diego Garcia. Although the US administration had previously supported the deal, Trump reportedly described it this week as an “act of great stupidity”.
Starmer responded by suggesting Trump’s remarks on Chagos were strategic. He said the former US president had “deployed those words” for the “express purpose” of pressuring the UK over Greenland.
The prime minister also told MPs that Denmark’s prime minister is expected in the UK on Thursday for bilateral talks, underlining Britain’s support for Denmark and Greenland amid the controversy.
The heated exchange took place as Starmer faced questions in the House of Commons, with Greenland and the Chagos Islands emerging as flashpoints in the UK’s relations with the United States under Trump’s renewed rhetoric.
