Greenland Crisis Voices on the Threat

Starmer: No One Has an Interest in a Trade War

Tariffs against allies are “absolutely wrong” and a trade war between the US and the EU is in no one’s interest. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated this in a speech after the escalating Greenland crisis of recent days.

– We are not there, and my focus is to ensure that we do not end up there, Starmer said.

He pointed out that the UK and the US are close allies and partners and that his government is in daily contact with his colleagues in Washington.

– But one principle cannot be ignored: All decisions about the status of Greenland should be made by the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, Starmer stated.

He also said that on Sunday he was in contact with Donald Trump, as well as the leaders of the EU and NATO to find a solution based on “facts and common interests”. 

Denmark cancels trip to Davos – unclear why

The Danish government will not attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, the organization tells Bloomberg.

“Representatives of the Danish government were invited this year, and the decision on attendance is a matter for the government concerned,” the statement reads.

According to Danish Ritzau, Minister of Economic Affairs Morten Bødskov was supposed to attend, but he has changed his plans. It is not clear why Denmark is not going to Davos, but the announcement comes after Donald Trump made sharp threats against Greenland.

The US president is in attendance at the World Economic Forum, which starts on Wednesday.

Senator: Trump's claim is not about security

Donald Trump's claim to Greenland is not about security but about taking control of the island's natural resources. This is what Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen says in an interview with ABC News. He compares it to Trump's intervention in Venezuela.

- It wasn't about stopping drugs. He wanted to get oil for his billionaire friends, says Van Hollen.

Former Speaker of the House, Republican Newt Gingrich, makes a similar argument when interviewed on the radio show "The Cats Roundtable," The Hill reports. He says Greenland represents "a huge economic opportunity" and that he believes Trump's threat to take the island militarily is a bluff to pressure Denmark.

- I think he's making a lot of noise to get a negotiation where he can get what he wants, which is tourism rights, economic rights, mineral rights and security rights, says Gingrich.