Megaphone diplomacy with Trump only makes things worse for Greenland

Without knowing the precise contents of their conversations, it is difficult to say with certainty why Karoline Leavitt, as White House spokesperson and on behalf of Donald Trump, brought up the option of using military force to take over Greenland.

However, given the timing, it seems to have been a defiant – and typically touchy – response to the polite but firm “joint statement” issued by the leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK. They declared nothing less than the legal and moral truth that: “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

Yet President Trump, fairly obviously, thinks it’s also a matter for the United States and, as he puts it, “national and international security”. Evidently, he was irked.

Of course, to some degree, what Ms Leavitt said about force was a truism: “Utilising the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal.” So it is – but the commander-in-chief has previously ruled out armed intervention; for example, in the case of Canada.

Ms Leavitt’s reference to force was pointed, and one to which the Greenlanders, Danes and Europeans have no adequate rejoinder. In terms of power, the United States can easily acquire Greenland, and most other places, without much difficulty. After the success of the Venezuelan mission – as well as the bombings in Iran and, to a lesser extent, the protection of Nigerian Christians – confidence in that capacity has grown. At the same time, inhibitions about breaking international law have evaporated.

One of Mr Trump’s senior aides, Stephen Miller, has been the most militantly outspoken member of the White House team on this point, no doubt reflecting Mr Trump’s own preferences: “The US is the power of Nato. For the US to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend Nato and Nato interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the US … Nobody’s going to fight the US over the future of Greenland.”

All that European leaders can really do in the face of an America veering off into becoming a rogue state is to use reason and diplomacy to try and influence those elements in Washington that still understand the dangers that the ultras in the White House are entertaining.

Somehow, someone needs to talk sense to Mr Trump – and most effectively, that will be done privately.

The principal argument that needs to be put, unfortunately neglected in the joint statement, is that Greenland does not have to change its constitutional status in order for it to be defended to the satisfaction of the US. The Americans can already station as many missiles, as many troops, as many ice breakers and submarines, even, perhaps, nuclear weapons on this vast island to protect the American homeland from any conceivable attack or incursion.

As the European leaders did point out, Greenland is Nato territory, and increasingly important as the ice cap recedes and the waterways open up. If Mr Trump wanted, he could devise a scheme whereby Greenland, and Canada for that matter, could also be placed, for a fee, under the defensive “Golden Dome” he wants to cover the continental United States with, safe from Russian or Chinese rockets.

There is another puzzle that the president needs to be gently challenged about. Why is he so very concerned about Russian ships being “all over” Greenland when one of the main strategic goals of his foreign policy is to normalise relations with the Kremlin and do deals with Vladimir Putin, as with Ukraine?

What is the Russian threat? Why does America need to fortify Greenland from Russia if President Putin is President Trump’s (more or less) respected friend and partner? China is more of a regional challenger, but, as the Danes point out, they’ve kept Beijing well away from Greenlandic resource assets. It’s also true that states such as Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland are also essential allies across the Arctic region.

The truth may be that Mr Trump is acquisitive by nature, and simply wants to take over Greenland to access its mineral resources as much as for its security benefits. Yet, within reasonable environmental limits, American companies could mine and operate on the island without it becoming US territory, and make money and enhance US energy security just the same. Greenland doesn’t have to become the 51st state of the union for economic development to proceed.

These are the kinds of arguments that can be pursued by America’s allies confidentially, through the usual channels. Mr Trump, more than most, is not amenable to “megaphone diplomacy”.

A figure such as the former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace can accuse President Trump of trying to “thieve” Greenland’s mineral assets – and he’d be right. In an ideal world, Sir Ben would also be correct to say that the prime minister must be less “mealy-mouthed” in condemning his actions. But with Europeans woefully short of defence resources and still so dependent on America for weapons and technology, impugning the president would be counterproductive.

President Trump famously works through personal relationships and requires a degree of respect – if not outright deference. Diplomacy is the best route forward, and the preservation of Nato – until such time as Europe can look after its own defence – has to be the aim.

It is also a time for creativity and exploring whether an agreed change in the status of Greenland would be in the interests of all. Some kind of “free association” with the US, for example, or a “leaseback” of sovereign territory, could be a solution to those tensions.

In time, an independent Greenland might also emerge with its own ideas. None, though, would be sustainable without them being agreed by the Danish parliament and, most importantly, the people of Greenland through a referendum. For the time being, nothing should be done to weaken what remains of the Western alliance any further.

Former England manager Kevin Keegan diagnosed with cancer

Football legend Kevin Keegan has been diagnosed with cancer, his family has said.

In a statement published on Wednesday, his family said the former England international was recently admitted to hospital for “further evaluation of ongoing abdominal symptoms”.

“These investigations have revealed a diagnosis of cancer, for which Kevin will undergo treatment,” the statement continued.

“Kevin is grateful to the medical team for their intervention and ongoing care.

“During this difficult time, the family are requesting privacy, and will be making no further comment.”

The statement was released by Newcastle United, who Keegan both played for and managed and remains closely associated with.

Affectionately known as ‘King Kev’, he scored 204 goals in 592 appearances during an illustrious club career, and 21 goals in 63 international caps.

He began his playing career at Scunthorpe United before moving to Liverpool, where he won three First Division titles as well as two Uefa Cups, the FA Cup and the European Cup.

The 74-year-old later had spells at Hamburg – where he won the Bundesliga, was twice named European Footballer of the Year, and reached the European Cup final – and Southampton before he joined Newcastle.

He helped the Magpies secure promotion from the Second Division in his second season.

He retired in 1984 before moving into management, returning to Newcastle in 1992. Newcastle sealed promotion to the Premier League in his first full season, and he later took charge of Fulham, England, and Manchester City before a second spell with Newcastle in 2008, his most recent managerial role. That ended in a falling out with then-owner Mike Ashley and Keegan won a constructive dismissal case against the club.

Murderer who absconded from prison arrested after week-long manhunt

A convicted murderer and a second prisoner who absconded from prison on New Year’s Day have been arrested, police have said.

Matthew Armstrong, 35, and Daniel Washbourne, 40, left HMP Leyhill, South Gloucestershire, between 5pm and 8pm on 1 January.

Avon and Somerset Police said both Armstrong and Washbourne had been arrested on Wednesday.

Armstrong, who was convicted of murdering someone during a robbery in Warwickshire in 2009, was arrested by Warwickshire Police officers near Henley-in-Arden train station just before 12pm.

A member of the public had reported seeing Armstrong, who is now in police custody.

Washbourne, who has previous convictions for violence against a person and false imprisonment, was arrested in Bristol city centre at about 1.30am.

He was initially taken to hospital after officers found him with pre-existing injuries but is also now in police custody, a police spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added: “Armstrong has also been arrested on suspicion of robbery, in connection with an incident in a village near Leyhill, which happened at around 6.45pm on Wednesday December 31, the night before he absconded from HMP Leyhill.

“A man had forced his way into a home and threatened the occupants before stealing a mobile phone and a quantity of cash.

“Following this incident, we’ve carried out a number of inquiries, including interviews with the victims and house-to-house inquiries, which have led to Armstrong being arrested on suspicion of committing this offence.”

A third man, Aaron Thomas, was arrested by Avon and Somerset Police in Bristol on Saturday 3 January. The 39-year-old has since been charged with escaping lawful custody. He appeared before the magistrates on Monday 5 January and is set to next appear at Bristol Crown Court in February.

Britain’s nuclear threat can’t deter Putin, ex-military chief warns

The UK and its Nato allies must upgrade their military capabilities if the coalition of the willing in Ukraine is to be a successful deterrence against Vladimir Putin, a former military chief has warned.

In a damning report for the Policy Exchange thinktank, Sir Jock Stirrup, a former Royal Air Force commander and chief of defence staff, said the UK has been hamstrung by an “outdated nuclear doctrine” and needs to recognise that deterrence relies “on a spectrum of capabilities, not just nuclear weapons themselves”.

It recommends that the UK and its allies restart large-scale military exercises with a nuclear element to demonstrate that there could be a “slide” into full nuclear war as a “cognitive deterrence” to Russia, China and others.

It comes as Sir Keir Starmer announced that the UK will deploy peacekeeping troops alongside France to Ukraine if a ceasefire is agreed with Russia.

The prime minister, who ducked making a statement to the Commons on the plan, has refused to say how many armed forces personnel could be sent to the wartorn country and conceded that MPs would get to vote on the deployment first. According to reports, the UK force could be as few as 7,500 troops.

However, Sir Keir has been warned by Sir Richard Shirreff, who served as Nato’s deputy supreme allied commander in Europe, and ex-defence secretary Gavin Williamson that he would need at least 50,000 troops in Ukraine to deter Putin from attacking again, with the UK army currently totalling fewer than 80,000.

The international situation heated up on Wednesday with the seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker, Bella 1, which was linked to Venezuela, by the US with the help of the UK.

Posting on social media, the US European Command confirmed the seizure and said it was due to “violations of US sanctions”, following a two-week pursuit across the Atlantic Ocean, in a move that could see Donald Trump risk a dispute with Mr Putin.

Sir Jock’s report – named The Deterrence Theory of Sir Michael Quinlan – was co-authored with the co-ordinator of Policy Exchange’s Nuclear Enterprise Commission, Daniel Skeffington.

They claimed: “It is clear that western powers failed to deter Russian aggression in Ukraine because they failed to exercise deterrence in terms that are meaningful to its leaders.”

They noted that the UK had become reliant on submarine-based nuclear deterrents, but warned: “Deterrence works as a ‘package’: in deterrence theory there is no clear divide between nuclear and conventional weapons. Deterrence, therefore, rests on a spectrum of capabilities, not just nuclear weapons themselves.”

They added: “Deterrence cannot be based simply on possessing capabilities; it must be accompanied by the demonstrable ability and will to use them.”

Policy Exchange’s paper also argues that Britain’s intellectual capacity for thinking about nuclear weapons, which was once at the forefront of allied deterrence doctrine, has significantly degraded since 1989. As the security environment has steadily worsened, this has created gaps which have been exploited by the UK’s adversaries, it said.

The paper noted: “In the last twenty years, of course, the evidence of President Putin’s aggressive expansionist intent and the rapid development of China’s nuclear capabilities have brought us full circle to the consideration of deterrence between states and alliances.”

The broad concerns outlined in the report come as the UK and European allies are reconsidering their defence footprints and expenditure.

Sir Keir has set an ambition of spending 3.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defence and security, and urged other allies to follow suit, with Donald Trump making it clear that the US expects Europe to pay for its own defence in the future.

Threats by Mr Trump to take Greenland from Denmark, with the US refusing to rule out using military action to seize the territory, as well as the situation in Ukraine, have forced European leaders to reconsider their reliance on the US for defence.

However, concerns are being raised over the UK and France’s capabilities to guarantee peace in Ukraine.

Sir Richard Shirreff, who served as Nato’s deputy supreme allied commander in Europe between 2011 and 2014, said allied forces would need at least 50,000 troops in Ukraine to deter an attack from Russia.

Meanwhile, former defence secretary Gavin Williamson warned that a token number would not be enough and said that the UK would need an equivalent of “the army of the Rhine” of more than 40,000 stationed in West Germany after the Second World War as a Cold War deterrent.

Downing Street sources said that they expect other countries to get involved, with Germany already suggesting it too will sign up to the coalition of the willing force.

David Carrick among Met Police officers not properly vetted

More than 130 officers and staff within the Metropolitan Police, including two convicted serial rapists, committed crimes or misconduct due to significant failures in the force’s vetting processes, a review has found.

David Carrick, one of the UK’s most prolific sex offenders, who received 37 life sentences, was improperly vetted in 2017.

Checks failed to reveal a domestic abuse allegation against him.

Cliff Mitchell, who carried out a “campaign of rape” on two victims over nine years, was allowed to join the force in 2020.

A vetting panel, partly aimed at improving diversity, overturned an initial rejection despite a previous accusation of him raping a child.

The findings highlight systemic vetting failures within Britain’s largest police force.

The 131 cases were revealed as part of a vetting review that looked at the 10 years up to the end of March 2023.

Other serious crimes committed by the officers and staff include drug use, racism, violence and affray.

The review published on Thursday found that thousands of police officers and staff were not properly checked amid pressure during a national recruitment drive from July 2019 to March 2023.

Senior officers at the Met chose not to meet national guidelines amid a scramble to find 4,557 recruits in a three-and-a-half year period.

The deviations from standard practice meant thousands of references were not checked, and shortcuts in vetting led to the recruitment and retention of some officers and staff who should not have been in the force and contributed to police-perpetrated harm and damaged public trust, it said.

Under the PUP, forces in England and Wales were expected to recruit 20,000 officers within three and a half years to replace those cut during austerity, and funding was ringfenced and therefore lost if targets were not met.

The report found: “The review identifies a series of decisions, some of which were taken in isolation, which all compounded together and inadvertently increased risk.”

In total, 5,073 officers and staff were not properly vetted, of whom 4,528 had no Special Branch vetting checks, 431 had no Ministry of Defence (MoD) checks, and 114 had a vetting refusal overturned by a Met internal panel.

Another 3,338 who were due for vetting renewal had only limited checks.

The Met estimates that around 1,200 people who joined the force may have had their vetting refused under normal practices, out of around 27,300 applications.

Separately, 17,355 officers and staff did not have their references properly checked, if at all, between 2018 and April 2022.

The Met has not checked each of these files, but estimates that around 250 would not have got a job if their references had been checked.

Some of the “deviations” in vetting practices led to individuals being kept on who contributed to “police perpetrated harm” and damaged the trust of the public, the report said.

The “deviations” identified included:

The report also found that a since-abolished vetting panel, that aimed to tackle disproportionality in the workforce, overturned decisions to refuse vetting of 114 officers and staff, of whom 25 went on to commit misconduct or have been accused of a crime.

The review said senior officers faced political pressure and had to meet recruitment targets or lose funding to other forces.

Since current Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley took over the role in September 2022, 1,500 officers have been sacked in what has been billed as a bid to clean up the force. He was also a high-ranking Met officer between 2011 and 2018.

The report said that out of 730 vetting cases reviewed, 39 officers and staff had to be re-checked, with 23 cleared.

One officer resigned, another was sacked for a different reason, six cases are ongoing, and eight have been referred to potentially face dismissal.

The report concluded: “There were deviations from policy and practice, overconfidence in the ability to recruit at scale and lack of resources in vetting increased risk.

“It is extremely difficult to establish a causation chain between system changes and the potential harm caused to the public and other members of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

“However, it is known that the scale and impact of these deviations ranged, with some tolerable and minor in nature, to those having a more substantive impact, including the recruitment and likely retention of individuals who have gone on to cause harm through criminality and misconduct – events that have undermined public confidence in the MPS.”

The Met says it has taken action to clean up the workforce and tighten vetting standards.

Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams said: “In publishing this report today, we are being open and transparent about past vetting and recruitment practices that led, in some cases, to unsuitable people joining the Met.

“We have been honest with Londoners on many occasions about previous shortcomings in our professional standards approach. This review is part of our ongoing work to demand the highest standards across the Met so the public can have trust and confidence in our officers.

“We found that some historical practices did not meet the strengthened hiring and vetting standards we have today. We identified these issues ourselves and have fixed them quickly while making sure any risk to the public has been properly and effectively managed.

“It is important to highlight that the Met recruits hundreds of officers and staff every year – the overwhelming majority of exemplary character who are dedicated to protecting the public.”

Paula Dodds, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: “Today’s report illustrates a farcical situation in which hitting a numerical target of recruits has taken precedence over normal checks and balances.

“The good, brave and hard-working colleagues we represent are the first to say that the small minority of officers who are not fit to serve should not be in the police service.

Inside the living traditions of the Pyrenees of Catalonia

The Catalan Pyrenees is rightly celebrated as one of Europe’s great year-round adventure playgrounds. The region is packed with the kind of sensational ski resorts that make it one of the continent’s great winter destinations, and when the snow melts it transforms into a green, lake-dotted hikers’ idyll. What’s less well-known is that beyond the famous trails and peaks, the hills of Catalonia contain towns and villages alive with tradition, where the people enthusiastically maintain vibrant cultural practices some of which stretch for hundreds of years.

Take, for example, the Patum of Berga, a tradition that’s been celebrated annually during the feast of Corpus Christi for more than six centuries. Originally staged to teach people about the Holy Scriptures, the Patum has evolved over time into an intense and riotous carnival, which always lives up to its former name: Bullícia del Santíssim Sagrament (frenzy of the Blessed Sacrament). These days, locals crowd the streets to watch processions and performances featuring drummers and Guites (figures with a dragon’s head, giraffe’s neck, mule’s body, and horse’s tail), angels and mace-wielding demons, giants dancing to traditional Catalan melodies, and simulated battles in which the heroes always triumph. Because of the annual differences in the Easter cycle, it doesn’t have a fixed date but always takes place between the end of May and the end of June (in 2026, the main festival runs June 3rd-7th).

Similarly raucous is the fiery summer Fallas festival in the high Pyrenees, which celebrates the summer solstice. The festivities take places in 17 villages, each of which has a slightly different tradition but all of which involve young people lighting two-metre-long flaming torches on high points in the mountains. They then walk towards their villages, dancing and drawing patterns with the lighted torches, guided by a local leader, until they reach a bonfire in the central square, which they light with the torch and traditional dances are performed.

Fire is a consistent theme across many of the longstanding traditions of the Catalan Pyrenees. Over in the village of Les in the Val d’Aran, Falles are quite different. The Crema de Eth Haro, which takes place on the eve of Saint John’s Day at the end of June, involves the burning of a tall fir tree trunk that was planted the year before. While the trunk burns, young people spin balls of fire called halhes (made of cherry bark and wire), the sparks of which are thought to bring the fire to every corner of the village.

The region is also home to some rich culinary traditions with long histories. Take, for example, the Carnaval de Solsona, a quirky, nine-day celebration where giant puppets parade through the streets, pranks unfold in the squares, and the whole town gathers for communal meals. Alongside the playful chaos, locals come together to share hearty winter dishes and regional specialities made from Solsonès produce, from rich stews to pork-based favourites. It’s a festival that blends satire, pageantry and food, bringing generations together around long tables in the main square to celebrate community, seasonality and the enduring flavours of the region.

For those looking for a rich sense of lived history, the Pyrenees of Catalonia are not just about festivals and food, the buildings are magnificent too. For an astonishing insight into life in the 12th and 13th Centuries, head to the beautifully preserved Romanesque churches in the Vall de Boí, near the border with Aragon. In all of Europe, Catalonia has perhaps the greatest collection of Romanesque murals; some of them in the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona, others in situ in these nine stunning churches. Don’t miss Sant Climent de Taüll, which was consecrated back in 1123; its atmospheric interior and beautiful tower are a portal to distant time through video mapping.

Plan your sustainable trip to the Pyrenees of Catalonia at visitpirineus.com/en

Trump lashes out at Nato after criticism of US military ambitions

Donald Trump has given his approval for Republicans to push ahead with a bill in Congress that would punish countries for buying Russian oil.

Senator Lindsey Graham said the president “green-lit” the new sanctions legislation when the pair met yesterday.

Citing China, India and Brazil as the biggest offenders, he said: “This bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil fueling Putin’s war machine.”

The “secondary sanctions” bill has been in the works for months, but the Trump administration has focused its efforts on a push for peace rather than punishing Vladimir Putin for his war on Ukraine.

Earlier on Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky said he believes Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine could be brought to an end in the first half of this year, insisting that negotiations reached a new milestone with talks this week in Paris.

The Ukrainian president appeared at a ceremony marking the start of Cyprus’s six-month EU presidency, and said he “sincerely believe that this war can be ended” in that timeframe.

Family pay tribute to boy after police mistakenly said he survived

The family of a “loveable, gentle” teenager who died in a car crash have spoken of an “unimaginable” ordeal after police mistakenly told them he had survived.

Joshua Johnson, 18, was killed in a crash on Todwick Road in Rotherham on 13 December, alongside a 17-year-old girl.

But South Yorkshire Police (SYP) initially identified Trevor Wynn, 17, as the boy who had died and police informed his family. Meanwhile, Mr Johnson was thought to be injured and under sedation in hospital.

However, the force admitted it has now referred itself to the policing watchdog after “information came to light”, which led to further checks taking place. In what has been described as an “appalling” mix-up, tests confirmed on Sunday that Mr Wynn was in fact the teenager in hospital receiving treatment, and Mr Johnson was the boy who had died.

Mr Johnson’s loved ones have now paid tribute to the 18-year-old, describing him as a “loveable, gentle giant”.

In the statement issued through police, his family also outlined how they had spent “hours in hospital with who we now know to be Trevor”.

They said: “What we have been through and are continuing to go through is unimaginable.

“From the moment we were told about the collision in December, ourselves and many loved ones have spent hours in hospital with who we now know to be Trevor. We never wanted him to be alone. Only those we shared this time with could understand how this went on for so long.

“Neither us nor Josh’s brother can imagine life without him, and as we adjust to this new world and only just begin our journey with grief, we ask that our privacy is respected.”

Speaking of Mr Johnson, his family said: “Whilst he was 18 and exploring his independence, he was ever so genuine in his care for others – us, his brother, his grandparents, his extended family, and his many friends.

“Many of our happiest family memories were made whilst stock car racing. As new parents, we took Josh to his first stock car meeting at just six weeks old and he’s had a passion for this ever since. Through stock car racing, we’ve built a massive circle of friends and we are so very thankful for the support they and others have shown us in the last few weeks and days.

“We will treasure our holidays as a family and with friends – we explored the world together and this was something that Josh loved.”

Police previously said an 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and a 19-year-old was held on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Both have been bailed pending further inquiries.

The force has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its identification process following the incident.

Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane vowed to make sure such an incident would never happen again.

He said: “This has obviously come as a huge shock to everyone and we recognise the additional trauma this may cause. We are supporting Trevor and all the families through this and have engaged specialist agencies to help provide that support. I have also offered to meet with both sets of parents as I am sure they will have many questions, most of which we are not able to answer yet but we are absolutely committed to understanding how this happened so it cannot happen again.”

He added: “We will co-operate fully with any subsequent investigation and will be led by the IOPC on the next steps to determine how this happened, and how we can ensure this never happens again in the future.”

However, people in the community have been left concerned.

Jake Richards, MP for Rother Valley, said: “This is an appalling situation for the families involved. To be wrongly informed about the death or survival of a loved one is unimaginably distressing, and my thoughts are with all those affected, particularly the family of Joshua Johnson, and with Trevor Wynn and his family as he continues to receive treatment.”

Mr Richards said that “serious questions must be answered how such a failure occurred”, adding that “families deserve accuracy, and dignity”.