Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said that the future of Greenland should be decided solely by Greenland and Denmark, following renewed comments by US President Donald Trump suggesting the United States needs the territory for national security reasons.
Speaking to the media, Starmer rejected the idea of US annexation, saying Greenland’s status is a matter only for the semi-autonomous territory and the Danish kingdom.
He described Denmark as a close European and NATO ally and stressed that no outside country has the right to determine Greenland’s future.
President Trump and senior members of his administration have repeatedly floated the idea of Greenland becoming part of the United States.
The proposal was firmly dismissed over the weekend by both Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, and Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen. Nielsen called the idea a fantasy, while Frederiksen said the US had no right to annex any part of the Danish kingdom.
Asked directly whether he would tell President Trump to “hands off Greenland”, Sir Keir replied: “Yes.”
The prime minister’s firm stance contrasted with his more cautious response to recent US military action in Venezuela, where the country’s left-wing president and his wife were seized and flown to the United States to face criminal charges.
Starmer said Washington would need to justify its actions and reiterated the UK’s commitment to international law, but stopped short of saying whether the operation was legal.
The US move has drawn criticism from opposition parties and some Labour MPs, including Emily Thornberry, who warned it risked undermining international law and global stability.
The issue is now being discussed at the UN Security Council, where the UK has called for a peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela.
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