Trump Addresses UK and European Concerns Over Greenland, Lammy Says

Donald Trump stepped back from his threats over Greenland after the UK firmly defended the Danish territory’s sovereignty, according to David Lammy.

The deputy prime minister said the US president had “responded to our concerns” by abandoning earlier suggestions of using military force or trade sanctions to gain control of the island. He said European nations were now back to a position focused on negotiation rather than confrontation.

However, Lammy noted that Trump remains keen for the United States to take on a larger role in Arctic security, citing increased Russian activity in the region.

Trump withdrew his threat to use force to take Greenland on Wednesday, reversing a stance that had risked severely damaging relations with Denmark and other Nato allies. Shortly afterwards, he also dropped plans to impose a 10% import tax on eight countries, including the UK, that had opposed his position, pointing instead to progress toward a future agreement on Greenland.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer did not respond with retaliatory tariffs, despite Trump previously criticising his agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and arguing that it justified a stronger US presence in Greenland.

Starmer later hardened his public stance, telling MPs he would not compromise on Greenland’s right to self-determination. Downing Street credited sustained behind-the-scenes diplomacy for Trump’s decision to withdraw his threats.

Lammy, who has close ties to US Vice President JD Vance, said he never believed the US would use military force to annex Greenland. He said he had long argued that such an outcome was never realistic, even before Trump began his second term.

He said the shift in Trump’s position followed the UK and its European partners making their commitment to international law and Nato unity “absolutely clear”.

Trump, Lammy said, retreated from both the threat of force and the use of tariffs after close allies expressed strong opposition. Despite the public rhetoric, he argued, the US ultimately listened to its partners.

Lammy said the UK’s relationship with the US remained special, particularly in defence and security cooperation, but acknowledged that global politics had entered a new phase. He warned that powerful nations were increasingly using pressure and coercion rather than legal frameworks to resolve disputes.

He said the international order was undergoing profound change and that the balance of global power had shifted. With the US increasingly focused on Asia, Lammy argued that Europe would need to take on greater leadership within Nato in the decades ahead.