Trump-Greenland latest: Relations with US have suffered a ‘big blow’, EU foreign policy chief says – UK Times

Sir Keir Starmer says he will discuss with Denmark’s prime minister how to “take the vital steps” towards strengthened security in the Arctic.

The Prime Minister and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen met at Chequers, a day after the US president dropped tariff threats against European nations.

Ms Frederiksen thanked him for the UK’s support during “quite a difficult time” for the country.

Sir Keir said: “In terms of recent developments and the withdrawal of the threat of tariffs, I see that as a reflection of pragmatism, common sense and sticking to our values and our principles.

“The hard yards now – finding a better way forward on the issue that we all agree on, which is security in the Arctic – is the next chapter here, and I look forward to discussing with you how we take the vital steps down that path.”

A 1951 agreement between Washington and Copenhagen established the US’s right to construct military bases in Greenland and move around freely in Greenlandic territory. This is still the case as long as Denmark and Greenland are informed of its actions.

Washington has a base at Pituffik in northern Greenland.

Marc Jacobsen, a professor at the Royal Danish Defence College, said: “It is important to clarify that the US had 17 bases during the Cold War and much greater activity. So that is already possible now under the current agreement.”

But diplomats told Reuters EU leaders will rethink relations with the US as the Greenland episode had badly shaken confidence in the transatlantic relationship. Governments remain wary of another change of mind by Trump, who is increasingly seen as a bully Europe will have to stand up to, they said.

Trump whims are turning into demands very quickly these days, writes Anne McElvoy:

White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports:

Donald Trump believes Denmark “likes” the Greenland framework deal that has been proposed.

When asked if Denmark was on board with his plans, the US president said: “I think everyone likes it. I’ll let you know in about two weeks.”

White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports:

Donald Trump has said that the US “can do anything we want” after negotiations over the Greenland framework deal.

Speaking of the potential deal, the US president told reporters: “It was really a negotiation, but it’s infinity. The time limit is infinity, meaning there is no time limit. It’s forever. You know, you’re about 99 years, 50 years. It’s forever. That was discussed.

“We can do anything we want, we can do military, we can do anything we want, and it’s being negotiated, and let’s see what happens. I think it’ll be good.”

Leaders of Denmark and Greenland have insisted that the island’s sovereignty is non-negotiable after US president Donald Trump said he had agreed on a framework with Nato granting the US “total access” to the island.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen voiced guarded relief at Trump’s scrapping of his tariffs plan, but he said he knew no concrete details of the agreement Trump cited.

“I don’t know what there is in the agreement, or the deal about my country,” he told reporters.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said security in the Arctic was a matter for all of Nato, and it was “good and natural” that it be discussed between the US president and Nato chief Mark Rutte.

She wrote that “we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty” and added: “I have been informed that this has not been the case.”

The European Union is likely to resume work on a trade deal with the United States after US president Donald Trump took back a tariff threat over his attempt to acquire Greenland, the European Parliament’s president has said.

“We are happy to see that the escalation is off the table for now,” Roberta Metsola said.

“This means that we can continue at this stage our discussions internally on the EU-US trade deal, which had been paused pending the impending tariff threat.”

The European Parliament this week suspended work on the trade deal because of Trump’s new tariff threats.

The EU assembly has been debating legislative proposals to remove many EU import duties on US goods.

The detail of the US agreement on Greenland could involve creating a significant new Nato mission in the Arctic, dubbed an “Arctic sentry”, according to top officials.

They told The New York Times the deal would also mean updating a pact signed between Denmark and the United States in 1951.

Nato officials have discussed expanding that pact to effectively create pockets of American soil in the territory.

Such an agreement would be likely to be modelled on a “sovereign base area” agreement in Cyprus, where Britain’s military bases are regarded as British territory, the news outlet says.

Non-Nato countries, particularly Russia and China, would be barred from obtaining rights to mine the rare-earth minerals under Greenland.