Starmer Stands Firm As Trump Pressures UK On Greenland

In a week marked by sharp exchanges and high-stakes diplomacy, Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced mounting pressure in the House of Commons over Britain's foreign policy, as tensions with the United States flared over the future of Greenland and the Chagos Islands. The drama unfolded on January 21, 2026, during a prolonged Prime Minister’s Questions session, with the eyes of Westminster—and much of the world—trained on the heated debate.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch set the tone by challenging Starmer about his recent conversation with US President Donald Trump, specifically on whether the president agreed that "the future of Greenland should only be decided by the people of Greenland." Starmer, opting for a measured response, said, "Engaging constructively on international security matters hugely, particularly when it comes to security in the Arctic, and that’s the context in which this discussion is going on in relation to Greenland." Yet he was unequivocal about his stance, declaring, "I will not yield, Britain will not yield, on our principles and values about the future of Greenland and the threats of tariffs. And that is my clear position." According to the BBC, this marked a notably steely tone from the prime minister—one not often seen in his dealings with the White House.

The issue of Greenland’s sovereignty has become a flashpoint in transatlantic relations. President Trump, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, continued to insist that American security depends on taking control of the Danish territory, a stance that has rattled European capitals. Starmer, for his part, insisted that "the future of Greenland is a binary issue that is splitting the world at the moment, with material consequences. I’ve been clear and consistent in my position on the future of Greenland. The future is for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone." He went further, accusing Trump of using his comments on the Chagos Islands—another contentious issue—as leverage to pressure the UK to shift its position on Greenland.

The Chagos Islands, a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean, have long been at the heart of a sovereignty dispute. On January 20, 2026, President Trump called the UK's plan to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius an "act of great stupidity," echoing concerns raised by Badenoch and other Conservative MPs. Badenoch pressed the prime minister, saying, “President Trump thought that we were doing this, that the Prime Minister is doing this, for money. The Prime Minister is giving away territory we own and paying £35 billion for the privilege. Why doesn’t he just scrap this terrible deal and put the money into our armed forces?” Starmer, however, maintained that robust security provisions had been negotiated to protect the UK base for decades to come, and Downing Street pointed out that the deal had the backing of the UK’s Five Eyes allies.

The debate quickly turned personal and political. Starmer accused Badenoch of “naked opportunism over the national interest,” asserting, “The Leader of the Opposition has taken three positions in 10 days. Ten days ago, she said Greenland was, in her words, ‘a second order issue’. Four days ago, she said she supported our position on Greenland. Now she is backing arguments intended to undermine our position, Britain’s position on Greenland. This is an important national moment, and yet again, the Leader of the Opposition has shown she is incapable of rising to it.”

For her part, Badenoch insisted she backed the government’s position on Greenland but remained fiercely critical of the Chagos deal. She also warned that "the world is changing. We are in a very different place. The most dangerous international environment since the end of the cold war," highlighting a £28 billion defense spending shortfall.

The Commons session was not without its moments of high drama. Reform Party’s Robert Jenrick raised the murder of former prison officer Lenny Scott, noting that Scott’s family had been denied compensation because he had left the service. Starmer promised to review the case, underscoring the government’s commitment to veterans and their families. Meanwhile, Conservative shadow minister Richard Holden was expelled from the chamber after repeated heckling, a rare move that underscored the session’s intensity.

The economic implications of the diplomatic spat were not lost on Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who was attending the Davos summit. With Trump threatening to slap a 10% tariff on UK imports if his demands regarding Greenland are ignored, Reeves was pressed on whether the government would support British businesses affected by such a move. She responded, “We’re not gonna be buffeted around by global events and I’m not going to give answers on hypotheticals, but look at our record. We stepped in and backed Jaguar Land Rover last year when they were impacted by the cyber attack. We got that trade deal with the US because we wanted to protect and promote growth and prosperity in our car manufacturing sector. We’ve backed our steel industry by ensuring that we can't be undercut by foreign suppliers.”

Reeves also emphasized, “Britain is not here to be buffeted around. We’ve got an economic plan, and it is the right one for our country. If other countries want to increase trade barriers, that is their choice, but we are determined to bring trade barriers down.” She pointed to ongoing talks with European, Gulf, and Canadian partners about freeing up trade, and noted, “On President Trump, we worked last year to get a trade deal. And as the US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick said when I saw him yesterday, he doesn’t see any reason why that trade deal should be undone.”

Despite the heated rhetoric, Starmer struck a note of pragmatism when asked by Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey about the broader relationship with the US, particularly in light of the war in Ukraine. Starmer responded that it would be “foolhardy to think we should rip up our relationship with the US,” signaling that, for all the bluster, the government remains committed to maintaining strong transatlantic ties.

Meanwhile, the UK is looking to broaden its economic horizons. According to Reuters, the government plans to revive the UK-China CEO Council during Starmer’s expected visit to Beijing. British firms such as AstraZeneca, BP, HSBC, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls Royce, Schroders, and Standard Chartered are set to participate in the business forum, part of a strategic push to deepen commercial links with China.

As the dust settles from this week’s bruising Commons session, one thing is clear: Britain’s foreign policy is under intense scrutiny, both at home and abroad. With the Prime Minister of Denmark due to visit the UK, and the world watching closely, Starmer’s resolve on Greenland and the Chagos Islands will be tested further in the days ahead. Yet, for now, he has drawn a clear line in the sand—one he insists Britain will not cross, no matter the pressure from Washington.