Starmer to hold emergency press conference after Trump Greenland warning

WorldPolitics
19 Jan 2026 • 3:28 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs of up to 25% on the UK and seven other European allies unless the US is allowed to purchase Greenland from Denmark.
  • Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, will address the issue, asserting that applying tariffs for opposing the Greenland purchase is "wrong" and that Greenland's future is a decision for Denmark and its people.
  • Trump justified the tariffs by claiming Denmark failed to address a "Russian threat" to Greenland and questioned a recent military exercise in the region.
  • The UK and the other seven affected nations issued a joint statement, warning that the US tariff threats "undermine transatlantic relations" and risk a "dangerous downward spiral," vowing a united response.
  • EU ambassadors held emergency talks, deeming the proposed tariffs "incompatible" with existing trade agreements and expressing their "readiness to defend ourselves against any form of coercion."