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British Officials Face New Crisis with Trump
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LONDON,January 23,2026 – British officials believed they’d navigated a diplomatic minefield Monday,only to awaken to a far deeper crisis involving Greenland,a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean,and the potential deployment of a surprising diplomatic asset: King Charles III.
The shift came courtesy of an early-morning post on Truth Social by former President Donald Trump, once again upending carefully laid plans.
Averted Crisis… Briefly
The initial calm proved illusory as a late-night post from the former president reignited tensions.
Just hours earlier, a call between Prime Minister Keir starmer and Trump had seemingly diffused the situation. Sources indicated that British counterparts remained calm, echoing the wartime mantra of “Keep calm and carry on,” while hoping French President Emmanuel Macron would refrain from wielding the “bazooka” of potential financial retaliation.
The situation highlighted the delicate balance of dealing with the former president: acknowledging his concerns without conceding to unreasonable demands, or risking a transatlantic rift by challenging him directly with the European union’s economic power.
The Diego Garcia Flashpoint
That tentative peace shattered in the early hours of Tuesday when Trump turned his attention to Starmer’s decision to cede ownership of the Chagos islands, a tiny archipelago in the Indian Ocean that includes the vital U.S. military base at Diego Garcia.
What is the status of the Chagos Islands? The deal to return them to Mauritius aligns with international law and ensures the continued operation of the U.S. base for another century.
Despite previously downplaying the issue-telling a reporter on Air force One a year ago, “It hasn’t been No. 1 on my list,I’ll be honest with you”-Trump took to Truth Social at 1:38 am,posting,”Shockingly,our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally,the united Kingdom,is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia,the site of a vital U.S. military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.”
British officials were reportedly caught off guard. The response now hinges on whether Trump’s respect for King charles III could be leveraged. Would he react as strongly to a potential cancellation of the King’s state visit to Washington in April?
Pressed on the possibility during an emergency news conference, Starmer demurred twice, stating, “In relation to the King and other issues … I am focused on the pragmatic response here, not the suggestion of others, and my focus is what’s in the national interest for our country.”
The Nuuk Game
The capital of Greenland is Nuuk. Interestingly, none of its letters can be colored in-ther are no closed loops, no O’s or R’s with holes to fill. Can you name four other world capitals with this same characteristic?
Senator on Senator
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) has quietly published a witty and insightful book, filled with anecdotes and observations about his colleagues. He describes Senator lindsey Graham (R-SC) as “unpredictable,” adding, “Invite him to dinner, and you don’t know if he’ll sit down for an clever conversation or get drunk and vomit in
