Starmer Vows Britain Will Not Yield On Greenland

On January 21, 2026, the usually staid atmosphere of Prime Minister’s Questions in London crackled with tension, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced a barrage of questions and political theatrics against the backdrop of an escalating diplomatic standoff with the United States. The dispute, which has simmered for days, centers on President Donald Trump’s extraordinary threats over Greenland and his sharp reversal on the UK’s plan to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius—a deal he had previously supported.

Starmer, who took the helm promising steady leadership, found himself thrust into the international spotlight after Trump’s latest social media tirade. The US president, never one to shy away from controversy, lashed out at Britain’s Chagos Islands agreement, branding it an “act of GREAT STUPIDITY”—a far cry from his earlier words of support. According to The Independent, Trump’s online rant included, “Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.”

But behind the bluster lay a deeper game. Starmer, speaking in the Commons, accused Trump of weaponizing the Chagos deal to pile pressure on Britain over Greenland—a territory thousands of miles away, but now at the heart of a new transatlantic rift. Trump’s demands were blunt: unless the UK and other European allies agreed to his purchase of Greenland, a 10% tariff would hit their exports to the US starting February 1, 2026, rising to 25% by June. Even more alarmingly, Trump refused to rule out the use of military force to seize the Danish territory.

Starmer, for his part, struck a defiant tone. “I will not yield, Britain will not yield on our principles and values about the future of Greenland under threats of tariffs, and that is my clear position,” he declared, as reported by the BBC. He repeated this stance several times during the heated session, determined to reassure both Parliament and the public that the UK would not be bullied into abandoning its values or its international commitments.

The pressure wasn’t just coming from across the Atlantic. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, seizing on Trump’s comments, urged Starmer to scrap the Chagos deal entirely, echoing the US president’s rhetoric. “The territory’s future must be decided by the people of Greenland and Denmark alone,” Badenoch insisted, questioning whether Trump had agreed to this principle in his conversations with Starmer. The Prime Minister, unflinching, replied, “Britain will not yield on our principles and values about the future of Greenland under threats of tariffs.”

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called on Starmer to stand up more forcefully to Trump, describing the US president as “increasingly acting like a crime boss.” Labour MP Steve Witherden went further, labeling Trump a “thug in the White House” and warning that “he will continue to harm British interests, no matter how compliant we are and like all bullies, he will always find the weakest link.” Witherden asked if the UK would respond with retaliatory tariffs, but Starmer was cautious: “Simply hurtling at the first opportunity into a trade war is going to hurt working people and businesses across the country. And that is why I’m working hard to make sure we do not get to that point. And I’ll continue to act in the national interest.”

Meanwhile, in Davos, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum provided a dramatic backdrop as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly rebuked the UK over the Chagos deal. “President Trump has made it clear that we will not outsource our national security or our hemispheric security to any other countries. Our partner, the UK, is letting us down with the base on Diego Garcia, which we had shared together for many, many years, and they want to turn it over to Mauritius,” Bessent told reporters, according to The Independent.

Yet the UK government pointed out that Trump’s administration had previously welcomed the Chagos agreement. During a White House meeting in February 2025, Trump told Starmer he was “inclined to go with your country” and expressed optimism about the outcome. Conservative shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel, however, welcomed Trump’s latest intervention, saying he had “said what we’ve said all along.”

Starmer’s PMQs appearance was peppered with other domestic flashpoints, from the tragic murder of former prison officer Lenny Scott—raised by Reform’s Robert Jenrick—to a heated exchange that saw Conservative MP Richard Holden expelled from the chamber. The Prime Minister also fielded questions about public safety, infrastructure, and the controversial approval of a vast new Chinese embassy in London, which has sparked fears of espionage. MI5 admitted that while it is unrealistic to eliminate every risk, the national security package for the site is “expert, professional and proportionate.”

There was no shortage of political drama. Starmer clashed with Badenoch over party defections and criticized her handling of the resignation of Robert Jenrick, who defected to Reform UK. He also sparred with Green Party MP Dr Ellie Chowns over environmental policy, and with Ed Davey over the security relationship with the US and support for Ukraine. “It is foolhardy to think that we should rip up our relationship with the US, abandon Ukraine,” Starmer insisted, underscoring the stakes of the current crisis.

Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, spoke from Davos, reinforcing the government’s resolve: “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.”

As the dust settled on a tumultuous day in Westminster, the message from Downing Street was clear: Britain would not be cowed by threats, whether from Washington or the opposition benches. With Denmark’s Prime Minister scheduled to visit the UK for bilateral talks, and the world watching closely, the future of Greenland—and the broader UK-US relationship—hangs in the balance.

For now, Starmer’s government is betting that a steely resolve and steadfast principles will see Britain through this diplomatic storm. The coming weeks will reveal whether that gamble pays off, or if the rift with the US deepens further.