From tariffs to foreign policy, tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and the United States' longtime North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies were on full display in January during the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland — where his push for U.S. control of Greenland got a very cold reception. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, ultra-conservative Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and other European leaders are making it clear that bullying Greenland, a Danish territory, threatens NATO's wellbeing.

The tone in Davos wasn't one of anti-Americanism, but rather, frustration with a longtime ally they believe is becoming increasingly unreliable both politically and economically.

In the UK, that frustration is being expressed by Labour and Conservative officials alike. And the iPaper's Will Hazell, in an article published on February 3, reports that's Trump "erratic behavior" is creating a major headache for the UK militarily.

"When Donald Trump threatened to annex Greenland last month," Hazell explains, "he set alarm bells ringing in capitals all over Europe. While the U.S. president later toned down his threats — the option of using force appears to be off the table, at least for now — his brinkmanship deeply unnerved Europe. The erratic behavior of the most powerful man in the world has made America's allies question to a degree unprecedented since 1945 whether or not they can continue to trust and rely on the U.S."

Hazell continues, "It has led to calls for countries, including Britain, to diverge, decouple or 'de-risk' from America by severing links. And it's a message which appears to be falling on fertile ground in the UK."

But according to Hazell, a "decoupling" of the U.S. and the UK "would have huge ramifications across a host of areas, including for Britain's ultimate insurance policy against external threats: the nuclear deterrent."

"UK governments, both Conservative and Labour, have always stressed the 'independent' nature of our submarine-based Trident nuclear missile system," Hazell reports. "But while the day-to-day operation of Trident is independent and the prime minister has the authority to launch the missiles without external input, the reality is that the long-term management of the program is dependent on the U.S. Lord Ricketts, a former permanent secretary of the Foreign Office and ex-national security adviser, says that nuclear deterrence is one of the 'absolutely strategic areas' where the UK is 'deeply, deeply intertwined with the Americans.'"

The iPaper journalist continues, "Trident is a U.S.-built system, with the UK relying on America for scheduled maintenance of the missiles every few years, while some warhead components are also manufactured in the U.S. It means that if there was a complete severing of the UK's security relationship with America, we would not be able to keep Trident going indefinitely. ... But it is not just the nuclear deterrent which would suffer if Britain diverged from the U.S. The UK is also deeply intermeshed with the U.S. when it comes to intelligence and conventional defense."

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