LONDON

The British prime minister on Wednesday vowed to maintain the UK’s position on Greenland, saying the country will not yield on its principles and values "under threats of tariffs."

"I will not yield, Britain will not yield on our principles and values about the future of Greenland under threats of tariffs," Keir Starmer said during the weekly Prime Minister's Questions session in the House of Commons.

His remarks came after US President Donald Trump said last week that Washington would impose 10% tariffs on goods from eight European nations, including the UK, starting on Feb. 1 and rising to 25% in June until there is a deal for "the complete and total purchase of Greenland."

Turning to Trump's Tuesday criticism of the UK's Chagos Island deal, Starmer said those words were "for express purpose of putting pressure on me and Britain" due to the position on Greenland.

The prime minister added that Trump’s "an act of great stupidity" remarks about the Chagos Islands deal were different than to his previous "words of welcome and support."

Pressing the main opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch over her remarks about the Chagos Islands deal, Starmer accused Badenoch of "backing arguments intended to undermine Britain's position on Greenland."

Last May, Britain signed a deal handing over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in exchange for securing a strategically important UK-US military base.

Under the deal, the East African nation gains control of the Chagos Archipelago from the UK, allowing the US and UK to continue operating a strategically important Diego Garcia military base for the next 99 years.