Economic threats against your 'closest ally' are 'wrong', Farage tells Trump
Nigel Farage has hit back against Donald Trump over economic threats targeting the UK and Europe, insisting that "it's wrong" to take aim at "your closest ally".
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Speaking exclusively with LBC, Mr Farage insisted that economic measures tabled by the US President on Sunday over Europe's support of Greenland are "wrong" and would prove "very hurtful" to the UK.
"I'm all for Trump taking out enemies of the West. Maduro, the Iranian regime," he insisted. "But if he falls out with his own allies and leaves America isolated, that, that would be a very bad place to be."
"I'm worried about it. I'm concerned about it," Mr Farage explained, branding the UK one of the US' "best friends".
The comments from the Reform UK leader follow a national address from Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street, hitting back at US assertions of a military takeover of Greenland and blasting the US President for his aggressive stance.
It comes just hours after it was revealed that Donald Trump had penned an extraordinary letter to the Norwegian Prime Minister saying he will focus on “what is good and proper for the United States of America,” after he was not awarded the Nobel peace prize.
Read more: Trump’s trade war threats ‘completely wrong’, says Starmer in emergency speech over Greenland
"I've always been a supporter of the President since way before he got elected first time," Mr Farage told LBC.
"But I will be having some words with the American administration in Davos on Wednesday on this issue. It's wrong."
Explaining that Trump uses "a degree of bluff" as a "negotiating tactic", Mr Farage added: "You can never completely predict what he will do. But no, I don't think reciprocal tariffs at this stage would make any sense at all."
"Whether Trump's bluffing or not, it's always difficult to tell. But to use economic threats against the country that's been considered to be your closest ally for over 100 years is not the kind of thing we would expect.
"It's wrong, it's bad. It would be very, very hurtful to us."
It comes as the Reform UK leader insisted he would speak to the Trump administration when he meets with them at the forthcoming World Economic Forum in Davos.
"I'll be meeting members of the administration and I will say very clearly what I've just said. This is not the way to treat your best friends.
"This is not the way to get support. I'd love to see a successful economic partnership between Greenland and America and I hope and pray that's where we end up."
The letter, penned to Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store, saw President Trump warn that he “no longer feels an obligation to think purely of peace” after being denied the prize, in his letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
The United States' assertion that control of Greenland is required as a matter of 'national security' - despite Denmark offering full access to all military bases across the country - saw Europe come to the defence of Greenlanders, who have long supported Denmark's sovereignty.
Speaking to the nation on Monday, Sir Keir said: "The UK and the US are close allies and close partners.
"That relationship matters profoundly, not just to our security but to the prosperity and the stability that people here depend upon.
"Under President Trump, as under previous presidents, we are determined to keep that relationship strong, constructive and focused on results."