British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on US allies as "completely the wrong move".
"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," Keir Starmer said in a statement. He noted that London has also made it clear that Arctic security is important for all of NATO and allies need to do more together to deal with the threat from Russia in different parts of the Arctic, and added:
"Imposing tariffs on allies in the name of the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong."
The BBC commented that so far the UK has really tried hard to avoid public conflict with the Trump administration, but the situation with Greenland is something different. Keir Starmer was also supported by his political opponents on the Island, and we have heard similar messages from many European allies. Saying that NATO needs to do more to ensure Arctic security is a message to President Trump that the UK is ready to play a role, in a similar way as with Ukraine, where European countries took on greater financial responsibility. But it is a rare public rebuke from Starmer to Trump and marks an important test of the "special relationship", says BBC political correspondent Nick Yeardley.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that US President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs over Greenland was unacceptable and that if it was confirmed, Europe would respond in a coordinated way, Reuters reported.
""No threats or intimidation will influence us, neither for Ukraine, nor for Greenland, nor anywhere in the world, when we face such situations," Macron said in "Ex", BTA reported.
""Threats with tariffs are unacceptable and have no place in this context. Europeans will respond to them in a united and coordinated way if they are confirmed."
European Council President Antonio Costa said the EU was "very firm in defending international law", in response to a question about new tariff threats from US President Donald Trump, adding that he was coordinating the EU's response on the issue, Reuters reported.
"What we can say is that the European Union will always be firm in defending international law, wherever it is, which of course starts on the territory of the European Union member states," Costa said at a press conference after the signing of a free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur and immediately after Trump promised to impose tariffs on European allies for opposing his desire to acquire Greenland, BTA adds.
"For now, I am coordinating a joint response from the European Union member states union on this issue", Costa pointed out.