Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's prime minister, thanked Keir Starmer "from the bottom of my heart" on Wednesday for the UK's support during her country's recent confrontation with Washington over Greenland—a moment that saw the Prime Minister's studied pragmatism elevated to diplomatic philosophy.
Speaking at Chequers, where Starmer hosted her for talks on Wednesday, Frederiksen praised what she called the "British way of doing things," echoing the Prime Minister's own characterization of his approach to handling Donald Trump's territorial ambitions. "As you said, you are very pragmatic: you have a cup of tea, and then you think a bit about everything," she said, before deploying a Beatles reference that would have made Harold Wilson proud: "I think we've got to get by with a little help from our friends."
The crisis erupted when Trump repeatedly threatened to annex Greenland, Denmark's semi-autonomous territory, even suggesting military action before backing down from imposing additional 10% tariffs on British exports after intensive NATO talks in Davos on Tuesday night. The UK's position throughout remained characteristically measured—supportive of Danish sovereignty without the rhetorical flourishes that might have escalated tensions.
Starmer described Britain's response as reflecting "a mix of British pragmatism, common sense, but also that British sense of sticking to our values and our principles." It's the sort of formulation that sounds rather better than "we tried not to annoy the Americans too much whilst quietly backing our European allies," which is essentially what it means—but that's diplomacy for you.
The Chequers invitation itself carried significance. Starmer typically hosts foreign leaders in Downing Street; the Prime Minister's official country residence tends to be reserved for guests viewed as particularly special. That Frederiksen received the full Chequers treatment suggests sees value in burnishing Britain's credentials as a reliable European partner, even as it maintains the transatlantic relationship.
