Starmer tells Trump it’s ‘wrong’ to impose tariffs on Nato allies | EUROtoday

Sir Keir Starmer will maintain an emergency press convention on Britain’s response to Donald Trump’s newest tariff threats, after warning the US president in a Sunday night time cellphone name that the transfer was “wrong”.

Mr Trump introduced on Saturday that the UK can be amongst eight international locations charged a ten per cent tariff “on any and all goods” despatched to the US from February 1, elevated to 25 per cent from June 1, till a deal is reached for Washington to buy Greenland from Denmark.

A joint assertion from the eight nations – which additionally contains Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden – warned the tariffs would “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral”.

A Downing Street spokesperson stated Sir Keir instructed Trump that “applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is wrong”.

EU international locations at the moment are contemplating whether or not to impose retaliatory tariffs price €93bn (£80bn), after a gathering of EU ambassadors from the 27 international locations in Brussels on Sunday.

Sir Keir is more likely to face questions on the federal government’s method to coping with the more and more risky US administration, amid rising requires the prime minister to face as much as Mr Trump.

As the prime minister battles devastating approval scores and rising questions over the path of the federal government’s home agenda, he will likely be hoping he can regain a grip on the narrative surrounding his international coverage after the US president appeared to blindside world leaders on Saturday.

Sir Keir will use the press convention to set out the UK’s method to working with its allies and reiterate Britain’s dedication to Nato, Downing Street sources stated.

“He will make clear his determination to work at home and abroad to protect the security, living standards, and future of the British people”, they added.

Sir Keir – who additionally spoke to Danish PM Mette Frederiksen, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Sunday afternoon – used the cellphone name to reiterate his place on Greenland, telling the US president that “security in the High North is a priority for all NATO allies”.

It comes after the UK and 7 different affected European international locations warned that US tariff threats over the way forward for Greenland.

In a joint assertion on Sunday, the international locations stated they are going to “stand united and coordinated” of their response.

“We will always protect our strategic economic and security interests,” EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen stated in a submit on X. “We will face these challenges to our European solidarity with steadiness and resolve.”

Brussels hopes the retaliatory tariff measures, which have been mentioned throughout a gathering of EU ambassadors on Sunday, will present European leaders leverage in pivotal conferences with Mr Trump on the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.

On the Sunday media spherical, tradition secretary Lisa Nandy stated the UK must have an “adult debate” with the US. She instructed the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “Often, with this particular US administration, the president will express a very strong view. He will then encourage a dialogue.

“He welcomes distinction of opinion, and we’ll by no means shrink back from standing up for what we consider is true, or asserting British pursuits. And what typically occurs is a negotiation.”

But she rejected the possibility that Mr Trump would “rooster out” and again away from the risk, including: “I think this is actually a really serious issue, and I think it deserves a far more adult debate than us threatening the United States and the United States threatening us.”

Earlier this week, the UK confirmed it had sent a military officer to Greenland as Denmark stepped up its military presence in the Arctic and High North.

Downing Street said they were sent at Denmark’s request to join a reconnaissance group ahead of a planned Arctic endurance exercise, but denied it amounted to a “deployment”.

But Mr Trump stated the international locations have been taking part in a “very dangerous game”.

He stated it was “time for Denmark to give back”, including: “China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it.

In a statement on Saturday, Sir Keir reiterated that Greenland is “part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes”.

“We have also made clear that Arctic Security matters for the whole of Nato and allies should all do more together to address the threat from Russia across different parts of the Arctic”, he added.

“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of Nato allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration.”