Sir Keir Starmer has issued a statement following US President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting the United States could annex Greenland. The Prime Minister expressed his support for Denmark, saying his Danish counterpart, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, was “right” to reject any American claim to the territory.
The statement comes in the wake of Trump’s recent actions in Venezuela, where the US administration conducted a raid in Caracas and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend. Following the operation, Trump told The Atlantic: “We do need Greenland, absolutely.”
In response, Ms Frederiksen stated firmly that “the US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom,” which includes Greenland.
During a visit to a community centre in Berkshire, Sir Keir told Sky News: “Well, I stand with her, and she’s right about the future of Greenland.” He also told the BBC he supported Denmark’s calls for the US president to halt any proposals of American annexation. He added: “Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark are to decide the future of Greenland, and only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark. Denmark is a close ally in Europe, a NATO ally, and it’s very important that the future of Greenland is determined by Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone.”
In recent months, the Labour government has been strengthening ties with Denmark, taking cues from Ms Frederiksen’s government — which shares a similar political tradition — on tackling illegal migration.
Over the weekend, Washington removed Venezuelan President Maduro from the country and transported him to New York, where he is set to face trial on Monday on charges of “narco-terrorism.” The move has been described as the most assertive US intervention aimed at regime change since the 2003 Iraq invasion. The operation has also fueled speculation among Trump allies that the president could pursue his earlier suggestions of acquiring Greenland as an American territory.
Adding to the debate, Katie Miller, the wife of senior Trump aide Stephen Miller, shared a social media post depicting Greenland in American flag colours alongside the word “soon,” shortly after the Venezuela operation.
