Sir Jeremy Hunt warns Trump threats to annex Greenland could see end of NATO

Mr Hunt said that the threats, which have resurfaced after the United States abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, would amount to "an enormous red line that would be be incredibly difficult for Europe to swallow."

Appearing on LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr, Hunt said that any move to annex the territory, which sits near to the continental US but belongs to Denmark, "really could spell the end of NATO".

He said what he "would really like to know is, what are the conversations that are happening, not in public, but in private, that alert America to how seriously Europe would take it If Trump were to take the step" to take over Greenland.

The heightened tensions came after the daring raid on Caracas which saw Maduro captured and extradited to New York by Delta Force.

Read More: Nicolas Maduro tells New York court he is a 'decent man' as he pleads not guilty to federal charges

Read More: Trump's new envoy promises to make Greenland part of the US

On the British government's reaction to the operation, Tory grandee Hunt said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is "right to be careful".

He told Andrew: "I think he's [Starmer] right to be careful. But there is a but here, I think you have to look at what is going on behind all of this. And I don't think anyone is sad to see the end of Maduro. I think most people's view, certainly my view, is good riddance. And was it against international law? Well, you can argue it both ways.

"But the thing that is worrying is that, if this is Trump's attitude to his backyard, is Greenland next? And if Greenland comes next, that would probably be the end of NATO because that would be one NATO country annexing territory that belongs to another NATO country.

"And the thing we've learned with Trump is you can never say that would never happen with this guy, because he loves surprising people."

On how the PM has chosen to back Denmark over the US when pressed on Greenland, Jeremy told LBC: "Yes and I think even people who are instinctively Atlanticist in the way that I am, for example, during my whole time as Foreign Secretary, we had the first Trump administration, and my number one priority was to keep the Americans in NATO and keep the Atlantic alliance together, but annexing a country that belongs to another NATO member is crossing an enormous red line that would be incredibly difficult for Europe to swallow.

"And if I have a worry, Andrew, it is that the rather supine reaction we tend to get from European leaders when Donald Trump does something outrageous, might be encouraging him to think that Greenland is something that he could get away with.

"I think that it really could spell the end of NATO. And I think that would be absolutely disastrous. So, if I was in Keir Starmer's shoes right now, I'd be saying, year one of Trump, the biggest achievement was to keep NATO together through that NATO Summit that we had in June, when Trump could easily have walked away, as he nearly did in 2018. Year two, we've got to make sure this Greenland thing, however far fetched it may seem, does not happen."

After the threat reemerged following the appointment of a new US envoy to Greenland, Sir Keir reiterated that he believed the future of the territory is a question for Denmark alone.

Earlier on Monday, the Prime Minister told LBC's political editor Natasha Clark that the country stands with Denmark, adding that it is important we are "very clear about the future of Greenland".

Sir Keir Starmer said: "The future of Greenland is for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, and it's for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark only.

"Denmark is a close ally of the United Kingdom in Europe and a close ally in Nato.

"And so, it's very important we stand by our ally and are very clear about the future of Greenland.

"It’s my consistent message in relation to Greenland. That's not a new position. The future for Greenland is for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.

"We stand with Denmark on this."