Starmer Got a Soft Power Win With Trump. He Needs Hard Power Too

Keir Starmer claimed a win for British soft power this week, but also saw it tested to its limits.

Donald Trump’s decision to back away from new tariffs on Europe over Greenland followed days of high stakes diplomacy by British and NATO officials, helping the president find an off-ramp.

The UK government is under no illusions that there won’t be another crisis around the corner, however, and questions about Britain’s ability to fend for itself — amid unprecedented hostility from its closest ally — are only getting louder. Friday’s row over Trump’s “insulting and frankly appalling” NATO comments underlined ...