The leader of the United Kingdom’s Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, has slammed US President Donald Trump, accusing him of behaving like a global bully over his attempts to acquire Greenland.
Speaking in parliament on Tuesday while addressing the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, Davey described Trump as the “most corrupt president the United States has ever seen”, warning that the UK’s current approach to Washington is dangerously flawed.
Trump has intensified pressure on European allies to back his controversial bid to purchase Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark. Over the weekend, he announced plans to impose sweeping tariffs on European nations, including the UK, as leverage.
Under the proposal, a 10 percent tariff would be placed “on any and all goods” entering the US from Europe from February 1, rising to 25 percent from June 1, unless an agreement is reached over Greenland.
“The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland,” Trump told Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in a letter, tying the demand to what he called Norway’s “failure” to award him the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
Both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly insisted that the island is not for sale.
“President Trump is acting like an international gangster,” Davey said in parliament.
“He is threatening to trample over the sovereignty of an ally, threatening the end of NATO altogether, and now threatening to hit our country and seven European allies with outrageous damaging tariffs unless he gets his hands on Greenland.
“This is an incredibly grave moment for the United Kingdom, Europe, and our world.”
Davey also took aim at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing him of “flattering” and “fawning over Trump”, a strategy he said has only led to “destruction”.
“It is time for the government to change course. We have to finally be clear eyed about the sort of man Trump is and treat him accordingly. He is a bully,” Davey said.
He urged the UK to align firmly with its European partners and apply collective pressure to force Trump to retreat from what he described as dangerous and destabilising threats.
