UK premier, US president discuss Euro-Atlantic security amid row about Greenland

​​​​​​​By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a call Thursday with US President Donald Trump to discuss Euro-Atlantic security, after the premier stated his position about Greenland to the American president.

Starmer and Trump "agreed on the need to deter an increasingly aggressive Russia in the High North," the premier's office said in a statement.

It came one day after the pair held another call in which Starmer "set out his position on Greenland," expressing that only Greenland and Denmark should decide the future of the territory.

The statement added that European allies had stepped up in recent months to defend Euro-Atlantic interests, but more could be done to protect the area.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that he will have a meeting with Danish officials next week, after Denmark requested talks amid rising tensions following Trump’s threats about Greenland.

A day after a US military operation in Venezuela that captured President Nicolas Maduro, Trump renewed his call Sunday for a takeover of Greenland for "national security" interests.

- Starmer discuss High North with NATO chief, Danish premier

Starmer held a call separately with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to discuss Ukraine and security in the High North.

Starmer and Rutte welcomed strong commitments by all participants in the Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris, according to a statement.

"It was vital that the security guarantees for Ukraine ensured Russia was never able to invade again," the leaders reiterated.

The pair agreed that more needed to be done" to deter Russia in the High North and welcomed discussions on how allies could further protect the region from "increasing Russian threats."

Meanwhile, the British prime minister also held a conversation with his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, earlier Thursday to discuss Greenland, as well as the High North.

Starmer reiterated his position on Greenland, according to the statement, which noted that both agreed on the importance of "deterring Russian aggression" in the High North and that NATO should step up in the area to protect Euro-Atlantic interests.