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

Keir Starmer during a visit to a British army base, last year.Photographer: Finnbarr Webster/AFP/Getty Images

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By Alex Wickham and Ellen Milligan

January 24, 2026 at 6:00 AM UTC

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.