20th Jan 2026 10:55
(Alliance News) - The speaker of the US House of Representatives has sought to assure MPs and peers that the US and UK will "work through our differences calmly as friends" amid Donald Trump's threats over the seizure of Greenland.
Mike Johnson said his mission during his visit to London was to "help calm the waters", while also arguing that a "strong America is good for the entire world".
Keir Starmer's government was reeling from Trump's overnight attack on the decision to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands and his continued pressure over his demand to take over Greenland.
Johnson said he agreed with the UK prime minister's approach of finding a resolution through dialogue, after the pair met at Downing Street on Monday as part of his trip to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The senior Republican told members of both Houses: "He (Starmer) noted, of course, that the UK and the US are close allies and that our strong, constructive partnership all these years has been built on mutual respect and focused on results. I thought that was exactly the right message and the right tone.
"And because of that, we've always been able to work through our differences calmly as friends. We will continue to do that. I want to assure you this morning that that is still the case.
"I spoke to President Trump at length yesterday, and I told him that I really felt that my mission here – that even though we planned this back in the fall – we didn't know how the events would develop over the last few days. But I told the president that I felt that my mission here today was to encourage our friends and help calm the waters."
He lauded the Trump administration's efforts to "make America safer and stronger and more prosperous than ever before" in the face of China, Russia and Iran's growing efforts to "exert economic, political and military influence around the world".
Trump has cited national security reasons as being behind his pursuit of the Arctic territory of Greenland, which has been firmly opposed by European allies.
Johnson said: "Clearly President Trump is taking seriously the modern and dynamic threats that China and Russia pose for our global security, especially in focus in the last few days as it relates to the Arctic."
He thanked the UK for its support of a recent US operation to seize a Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic, adding: "That kind of open dialogue and partnership is a great example of how we work together to ensure our collective defence around the world.
"It is an objective and obvious truth that a strong America is good for the entire world, and a strong UK is as well.
"At the same time, it's also obvious that we have to take care of our own houses, so to speak, before we take care of the neighbourhood."
By Sophie Wingate, Press Association Deputy Political Editor
Press Association: News
source: PA
Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.