Sir Keir Starmer has said the “hard yards” of bolstering Arctic security can begin as he welcomed Donald Trump dropping tariff threats against European nations opposed to his ambitions to annex Greenland.
The Prime Minister said the US president’s shift in position was a “good thing” following weeks of pressure on the UK and allies which saw Europe and America teeter on the brink of a trade war.
Mr Trump rowed back on his threats on Wednesday evening after a meeting with Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte to discuss his decision to impose new 10% tariffs as a result of opposition to his plans for the mineral-rich territory.
President Donald J. Trump meets with @SecGenNATO Mark Rutte in Davos.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 21, 2026
"I just want to thank the Secretary General for being with us... We'll be talking about Greenland... Tomorrow, we're doing something else having to do with the Board of Peace. We’re getting tremendous… pic.twitter.com/c8P9p6MTRO
The pair met on the fringes of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the US president said they “formed the framework of a future deal” for security in the Arctic region.
“I think you will have noticed that the last few days have been incredibly serious in relation to big things happening on the world stage,” he said.
“And you may have seen but it is a good thing that yesterday, the threat of tariffs against the United Kingdom was lifted and now we can start hard yards and finding a way forward on security in the Arctic, which may seem a long way away, pretty remote, but actually it does matter to all of us in terms of the safety and security of our country.
“And we’ve got through the last few days with a mix of British pragmatism, common sense, but also that British sense of sticking to our values and our principles.
“But now, as I say, the hard yards of actually finding a better way for security for our country, for Europe and across the globe.”