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Burnham Hails Greenland Deal With Trump Ahead of UN Meeting
Confirmed
In Short: Andy Burnham praised a deal between the US and Denmark over Greenland's security, ahead of his first meeting with Trump at the UN General Assembly.
Andy Burnham hailed a deal between the US and Denmark to strengthen security in the Arctic, particularly in Greenland, ahead of his first meeting with US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly.
The agreement, which was negotiated over months, includes provisions that prevent US adversaries from maintaining a military presence in Greenland or making sensitive investments there without explicit US approval.
Burnham's comments came after a phone call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who also welcomed the deal, emphasizing its benefits for all parties involved.
Frederiksen said the agreement strengthens common security in the Arctic and North Atlantic while respecting Greenland's sovereignty and the rights of its people.
However, some critics, like Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, dismissed the deal as a 'pretend' victory, noting it is nearly identical to existing agreements from the 1950s.
Burnham is expected to meet Trump for the first time this week at the UN General Assembly, where the deal is expected to be signed.
Military insiders have urged Burnham to set out a clear timetable to boost Britain’s defence spending to reach the NATO target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035 during his meeting with Trump.
The meeting will be a crucial test of the relationship between the two leaders and whether Burnham can repair ties strained during Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.
Pressure on Burnham to demonstrate strong defence commitments has intensified amid warnings from French and Polish leaders about Russia's heightened grey zone activity in Europe.
What's confirmed
- Andy Burnham hailed a deal between the US and Denmark to strengthen security in the Arctic, particularly in Greenland, ahead of his first meeting with US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly.
- The agreement, which was negotiated over months, includes provisions that prevent US adversaries from maintaining a military presence in Greenland or making sensitive investments there without explicit US approval.
- Burnham's comments came after a phone call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who also welcomed the deal, emphasizing its benefits for all parties involved.
- Frederiksen said the agreement strengthens common security in the Arctic and North Atlantic while respecting Greenland's sovereignty and the rights of its people.
- However, some critics, like Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, dismissed the deal as a 'pretend' victory, noting it is nearly identical to existing agreements from the 1950s.
- Burnham is expected to meet Trump for the first time this week at the UN General Assembly, where the deal is expected to be signed.
- Military insiders have urged Burnham to set out a clear timetable to boost Britain’s defence spending to reach the NATO target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035 during his meeting with Trump.
- The meeting will be a crucial test of the relationship between the two leaders and whether Burnham can repair ties strained during Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.
- Pressure on Burnham to demonstrate strong defence commitments has intensified amid warnings from French and Polish leaders about Russia's heightened grey zone activity in Europe.
What's still developing
- Nato welcomes Greenland deal as Trump says it will give US 'permanent security control' The agreement comes after months of threats by Trump to "take" Greenland over national security concerns, citing its strategic Arctic location for defence purposes as well as its mineral wealth. No text of the agreement has been released, but Trump said in a Truth Social post that the deal came with "no cost to the United States" and meant it could "do what is necessary" to "secure and defend the security of Greenland".
- A No 10 spokesperson said in a readout of Sunday's phone call that Burnham and Frederiksen "welcomed the US's commitment to the region and underlined the strategic and shared importance of the High North for Euro-Atlantic security".
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- Greenlanders protested against Trump's ambitions for the territory in the country's capital, Nuuk, earlier this year "Donald Trump is trying to claim he's got a success in Greenland, but actually, all he's got is almost a carbon copy of the agreement that's persisted since the 1950s," he said during a Q&A at the Lib Dem party conference.
- Trump, who has been critical of European Nato countries’ defence spending efforts, will need to be convinced by Burnham that he is serious about funding the military.
- But the PM’s plan to congratulate Trump over the Greenland deal is likely to win favour with the president without being seen as overly flattering and risk backfiring.