DEFENCE Secretary John Healey warned of a “new era of threat” as he jetted to Denmark for crisis talks amid US threats to seize Greenland.
Healey said: “In this new era of threat, now is the era of hard power, sure diplomacy, and strong alliances.”
He is due to meet Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen in Copenhagen after Donald Trump shattered Europe’s trust in America by threatening to conquer Greenland by force.
Trump insisted America must have “complete and total control of Greenland”.
He has refused to rule out military force and announced tariffs on allies – including Britain and Denmark – who oppose him.
The vast arctic island is semi-autonomous and has been linked the Kingdom of Denmark for over 300 years.
Healey stressed Britain’s links to Denmark last night, through Nato and the Joint Expeditionary Force, a British led military alliance of 10 northern European nations.
He said: “As JEF partners and NATO allies, Denmark and the UK are stepping up on European security.”
Hundreds of troops from JEF nations, inckuding the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, are due to take part in joint drills this year.
The Greenland row sparked glee in Moscow.
A Kremlin owned paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta gloated: “Europe is at a total loss and it is a pleasure to watch.”
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Trump would “go down in world history” if he successfully annexed the arctic island.
And Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov tried to exploit the cracks by saying: “What is unfolding is a game of might makes right.”
