Andy Burnham has congratulated Denmark and the US on a deal to “strengthen security in the Arctic” after the two countries resolved a months-long diplomatic standoff over Greenland.
The Prime Minister and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen “welcomed the US’ commitment to the region” in a call on Sunday morning, Downing Street said.
It comes as Mr Burnham prepares to meet Donald Trump in person for the first time at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York next week, marking one of the most significant diplomatic moments since he entered No 10 in July.
The US president said he had secured an agreement with Denmark that gives America “permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing all of our many US concerns”.
The White House administration will “immediately” begin the process of developing a larger military presence on the mineral-rich island, he added.
Denmark confirmed the deal will be signed at UNGA by all three governments next week, but parliamentary action is still needed by the Danish and Greenland administrations before it can be enforced.
The agreement looks to have ended a dispute in which Ms Frederiksen warned the island was “not for sale” amid Mr Trump’s repeated threats to annex the semi-autonomous territory of a Nato ally.
In a readout of Sunday’s talks, a No 10 spokesperson said Mr Burnham and his Danish counterpart had discussed the deal “to strengthen security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area” struck this week.
“They welcomed the US’s commitment to the region and underlined the strategic and shared importance of the High North for Euro-Atlantic security,” the statement said.
“The Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Frederiksen and the Kingdom of Denmark on negotiating a deal benefiting the US, Greenland and Denmark, and said he would pass on his congratulations to President Trump.”
Downing Street said Mr Burnham had expressed his intention to use UNGA to “drive forward work on issues that matter to people at home” including the cost of living, as well as making progress on stepping up support for Ukraine.
Earlier on Sunday, Labour chairwoman Bridget Phillipson dismissed suggestions the Prime Minister’s encounter with the US president could prove awkward in light of his past criticism of Mr Trump.
She said remarks including his 2021 assertion that “any politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now” were “politics” and “no bar to having a strong relationship”.
Mr Burnham has spoken to Mr Trump at least twice since entering No 10 and insisted he would find “common ground” and “find a connection” with the president.
The US leader described the Prime Minister as “a very nice guy” last week, echoing some of his positive comments about Sir Keir Starmer during the early stages of his premiership.
Relations between the White House and Sir Keir’s government later became increasingly strained over the Iran conflict and disagreements about Mr Trump’s proposals to seize Greenland.
Ms Phillipson said the Government would remain pragmatic in its dealings with Washington but conceded the war in the Middle East would pose challenges at the Budget next month.
Asked about the impact of the president’s decisions on the autumn statement, she said: “Well the economy is in a strong position, we’ve seen already in the first half of this year we’re the strongest growing economy in the G7.
“We’ve stabilised the public finances and I think people can feel a sense of hope and optimism about the future that lies ahead, but that’s not to take away from the very real challenges that you identify, particularly when it comes to the conflict we’ve seen in the Middle East and the impact that’s been having on businesses and families close to home.”
She added: “We do see the consequences here at home.
“And as we go into the Budget, making sure that we are doing everything we can to give people that breathing space to tackle those challenges around the cost of living has been at the forefront of everything that Andy Burnham has done since becoming Prime Minister.
“And I know it’s at the forefront of the Chancellor’s mind as he’s planning for that Budget later on next month.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, an outspoken critic of the US president, urged the Prime Minister to take a firmer line in his dealings with the White House.
“There is a danger that the new prime minister could be Keir Starmer, but with just better social media, that’s not going to help anybody, is it? We need to see some teeth in his relationship with the White House,” he told the Press Association.
“I want him to stand up to Trump. It’s really clear that’s the only language the president respects.”
Sir Ed later dismissed Mr Trump’s deal as a “pretend” victory and a near carbon copy of the existing agreement.
During a question-and-answer session with members at the party conference, he said: “The truth is, Europe, Nato, countries like Canada stood up to him and won,” he said.
