Starmer seeks his own way to appease Trump and distances himself from the threat of EU retaliation | International

It is a historical constant. The bond between the United Kingdom and the European continent always runs the risk of being undone by Washington’s side. Keir Starmer appeared urgently early this Monday in Downing Street to try to square the circle: preserve the “special relationship” of the United Kingdom with the United States, move away from the brewing confrontation between Washington and Brussels and at the same time convince its own citizens that it knows how to be firm before its American friend. According to surveys, the general impression of the British is that Starmer has done nothing else in recent months than bow down to each new Trump occurrence.

The British Prime Minister has tried to show firmness against Trump’s annexation threats on Greenland —“the future status of Greenland belongs only to its inhabitants and the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said—; and he has charged against the new tariff war unleashed by the American president — “the use of tariffs against allies is a wrong decision,” he has repeated. But, at the same time, he has tried to distance himself from the discourse of retaliation against Washington that is gaining strength in Brussels and some European capitals. “We prefer solutions to slogans, and we will not fall into political comments or gestures that harm the British people,” Starmer promised.

The inclusion of the United Kingdom in the list of countries to which the American president threatens with new tariffs —for having sent troops to military maneuvers in Greenland organized by Denmark—has been a blow to the Labor Government. The gestures of complicity between both leaders in recent months, or the restraint shown by the prime minister in the face of each new example of abuse of power by Trump, have been of no use.

Starmer, for example, had to engage in political contortionism in the days after the capture of the Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, by the US army on January 3rd. Despite his long years as a lawyer specializing in human rights, the head of the British Government refused to admit, as many voices demanded, that the assault on Venezuela had violated international law.

In defense of pragmatism

For the first time in all this time, the British Prime Minister was forced this Monday to explain to citizens the supposed strategy that hides what for many is simply lukewarmness.

“I am not surprised by the general bad reaction throughout the United Kingdom (to Trump’s tariff threats), because we are allies of the United States, we cooperate with them very closely. It is a very serious situation. But our task is to ensure a possible way forward that is consistent with our principles and values ​​and with our national interest,” Starmer defended.

The British Prime Minister has at all times avoided answering questions about the response strategy of the EU, which has begun to prepare a package of tariff measures to confront the threat from Washington. Starmer doesn’t even want to hear about possible retaliation. “We are not interested in a trade war, and my main objective is going to be that we do not reach that point (…) It is in the national interest of the United Kingdom to continue working together with the United States, and that means having a good relationship, without trying to hide that the differences exist,” he noted.

The bilateral trade agreement signed between Washington and London in May 2025, the first in Trump’s new mandate and in the midst of the trade war with the world that the American president unleashed, was exhibited by the Starmer Labor Government as evidence that its policy of appeasement had given results.

But the White House did not free London from the minimum 10% general tariff it imposed on everyone, nor was it particularly generous to British steel exports. The US Government has been especially harsh in criticizing the United Kingdom’s domestic policies, pointing to it as a clear example of the “disappearance of European civilization” that the White House pointed out in its latest review of the National Security Strategy.

Starmer, however, advocates “pragmatism” in his dealings with Washington, with the aim of keeping the communication channel open and seeking solutions to each new Trump outburst.

“There will always be people who, in times like the current one, will opt for gestures, convinced that appearing irritated on social networks or adopting a grandiloquent attitude can replace hard work. It is understandable, but it is not effective. It may make politicians feel very comfortable with themselves, but it is of no use to all those citizens whose jobs, their way of life and their security depend on the relationships we are able to build around the world,” defended the British Prime Minister.