A minister dodged saying Donald Trump should not invade Greenland today as Keir Starmer desperately sits on the fence over the president’s Venezuela raid.
Mike Tapp squirmed and said he would not give a ‘running commentary’ as he was grilled on the UK’s view of the action – and US demands to take over Denmark’s territory.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is set to make a statement to the Commons on the developments this afternoon.
But the PM has refused to criticise the move as he tries to avoid angering the White House, merely saying he was not ‘shedding tears’ for the ousting of Nicolas Maduro.
Mr Trump authorised the operation in the South American country on Saturday which culminated in special forces capturing Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
It has emerged that Operation Absolute Resolve may have killed 40 people, including almost all of Maduro’s security team, but there were no US fatalities.
The US President has vowed to ‘run’ the oil-rich country in the meantime – a move which has been widely condemned by other nations.
Mike Tapp squirmed and said he would not give a ‘running commentary’ as he was grilled on the UK’s view of the action in Venezuela – and US demands to take over Denmark’s territory
Keir Starmer is desperately sitting on the fence over Donald Trump’s Venezuela operation today amid mounting Labour anger
But the PM has refused to criticise the move as he tries to avoid angering Mr Trump (pictured centre), merely saying he was not ‘shedding tears’ for the ousting of Maduro
Foreign Affairs Committee chair Emily Thornberry has become the most senior figure to urge clarity
However, Sir Keir is under mounting pressure from his own MPs to lay out the UK’s position.
Foreign Affairs Committee chair Emily Thornberry has become the most senior figure to urge clarity.
Dame Emily stressed that she was not shedding tears for Maduro and ‘he shouldn’t have been there’ after losing elections.
But she said there was no legal justification for the US action.
‘I’m not in government. I can basically say it as it is,’ she told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour.
‘I think in the end there is no getting away from it – this is not a legal action.
She added: ‘He may well want to hear what the justification is from the American government. I can get in front of that and say I literally cannot think of anything that would be a proper justification.’
Dame Emily said Sir Keir should join with allies such as France and Germany to criticise the US move.
‘I think that it’s important that we make it clear that this is unacceptable,’ she added.
Mr Tapp dodged on the UK’s view as he toured broadcast studios this morning.
‘The British government is and will be in conversations with the Americans,’ he said.
‘We’re also talking with close allies looking at the legal aspect of this.’
Mr Trump has suggested that Venezuela may not be the last country subject to American intervention, telling the Atlantic magazine: ‘We do need Greenland, absolutely.’
But Mr Tapp seemed unwilling to give a full-throated rebuttal of the US president’s desire to take over Greenland, which is a territory of Denmark, a Nato ally of both Britain and America.
Mr Trump authorised the operation in the South American country on Saturday which culminated in special forces capturing Maduro (pictured last year) and his wife Cilia Flores
He told Sky that Venezuela and Greenland were ‘obviously different’ situations, but suggested it was for Denmark and the US to discuss, adding: ‘It’s for Nato to have that solid anchor to ensure that there is no division here.’
Repeatedly challenged to say that America should not invade Greenland, Mr Tapp said: ‘Diplomacy is delicate, which means we’re not here to give a running commentary in the news unfortunately, as much as that would be fantastic for for viewers and on Twitter.
‘But it’s the end results that matter. And working together with our allies and sticking to international laws is what we stand for as a country.’
Asked on Saturday whether he would condemn the military action in Venezuela, Sir Keir said he wanted to wait to ‘establish the facts’ and speak to Mr Trump, and later insisted the UK would ‘shed no tears’ over the end of Maduro’s regime.
Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside Kim Johnson questioned whether ‘we as a country still stand for international law and sovereignty’, while Leeds East Labour MP Richard Burgon described the Prime Minister’s statement as ‘shameful and reckless’.
