Trump warns Denmark a deal for Greenland ‘will probably be finished’ as Starmer addresses UK over tariff threats: Live updates

When pressed on retaliatory tariffs, Starmer says a trade war is in ‘nobody’s interest’.

‘We have not got to that stage, my focus is making sure we don’t get to that stage,’ he says.

It comes after Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that from February 1, the US would impose a 10 per cent tariff on all exports from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK – increasing it to 25 per cent in June.

‘This tariff will be due and payable until such time as a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland,’ the US president said.

‘There is a principle here that cannot be set aside, because it goes to the heart of how stable and trusted international cooperation works,’ Starmer says

‘And so any decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone. That right is fundamental and we support it.’

‘Our cooperation on defence, nuclear capability and intelligence remains as close and effective as anywhere in the world, keeping Britain safe in an increasingly dangerous environment,’ Starmer says.

‘We’ve secured good trading terms in key sectors, including cars, steel, aerospace and life sciences, protecting British jobs and manufacturers.

‘That is why we take the approach that we do, because it delivers concrete outcomes in the national interest.’

Starmer begins his speech by saying that, given things have been ‘markedly more turbulent in recent weeks’, what matters most is being clear about the values that guide the UK.

He says the UK holds values that ‘were not improvised’ but ‘built patiently over time’.

The US and UK are ‘close allies and close partners’, he says, adding that the relationship ‘matters profoundly’.

He says he is determined to keep that relationship ‘strong, constructive and focused on results’.