LONDON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on allies was "completely wrong."
"Our position on Greenland is very clear: it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes," Starmer said in a statement.
"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 U.S. administration," he said.
Trump said on Saturday that the United States will impose 10-percent tariffs on all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland over Greenland starting on Feb. 1.
Those tariffs would increase to 25 percent on June 1, and would continue until a deal is reached for the United States to purchase Greenland, he said on social media.
Greenland, the world's largest island, is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen retaining control over defense and foreign policy. The United States maintains a military base on the island.
Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to "obtain" Greenland. The Greenland crisis has escalated as Trump has recently intensified his claim while "fundamental disagreement" remained between the United States and European countries over the future of Greenland. ■
