Ed Miliband has admitted the situation between the UK and US “has changed” following Donald Trump’s outbursts over Greenland and the Chagos Islands deal.
Tensions are mounting between the US president and Nato allies over his ambitions in the Arctic Circle, after Trump on Tuesday doubled down on his insistence that America should acquire Greenland.
Sir Keir Starmer has called the US president’s threats of imposing tariffs over the issue “completely wrong”, and reiterated Denmark’s sovereignty over the territory.
When asked whether the situation between the two countries had now changed, the energy secretary told BBC Radio 4: “Well obviously.
“It’s obviously a very challenging situation and the situation has changed in the sense that the prime minister has come out very clearly and said he disagrees with President Trump on the issue of Greenland.”
Amid escalating tensions over Greenland, Mr Trump took direct aim at the UK on Tuesday as he described the plan to cede the islands to Mauritius as one of “great stupidity”.
The US leader also used a White House press conference on Tuesday evening to express uncertainty about his Nato allies, and repeated his claim that the US needs Greenland for security purposes.
Mr Trump has threatened to hit Britain and other European allies with 10 per cent tariffs from February 1 unless they agree to his purchase of Greenland and he has refused to rule out using military force to seize the island.
The US president is heading to Davos on Wednesday, where he is set to address a gathering of world leaders and business chiefs.
He confirmed he would be travelling to Switzerland, saying “we have a lot of meetings scheduled on Greenland” and “I think things are going to work out pretty well”.
Mr Trump is due on stage on Wednesday afternoon at the event where Chancellor Rachel Reeves has led a UK delegation including Trade Secretary Peter Kyle.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper is also expected at the gathering, though Sir Keir will not be present at the event due to prior engagements, Mr Miliband said.
“He has already talked to President Trump on Sunday night,” he told BBC Breakfast. “The prime minister spends a lot of his time being criticised for being out of the country – and now you’re saying to me, he should be out of the country more.”
Downing Street has said there would be “engagement on all levels”, but would not get ahead of any potential discussions when asked on Tuesday if the UK delegation would speak with the US at the event.
Mr Miliband also said Sir Keir’s “calm approach” to the US president was the right one, adding: “He’s sought common ground with the President of the United States. He’s found common ground, and it led to us getting the first trade deal, among other things, with the US.”
On Tuesday evening, Mr Trump insisted he gets “along very well” with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer but revealed they had not spoken since his Truth Social posts.
“I mean, they always treat me well. They get a little bit rough when, you know, when I’m not around, but when I’m around they treat me very nicely,” he said.
But in a further criticism of the UK, he said both leaders needed to “straighten out their countries” and confirmed he was “against” Britain’s Chagos Islands deal.