Nato foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels today to talk about Russia’s war on Ukraine. Increased defence investment is a key item on the agenda. But some of European’s foreign ministers, including the UK’s David Lammy, have been asked about Trump’s sweeping tariffs on the way in.
Speaking to journalists, Lammy said Trump was taking US economic policy back almost a century by embracing protectionism. The British foreign minister explained:
The United Kingdom, like France, is a great maritime nation.
We are a nation that believes in open trade, and I regret the return to protectionism in the United States, something that we’ve not seen for nearly a century.
As you know, we are consulting with business and industry. At this time, we are engaged in discussions with the United States to strike an economic agreement and an economic deal.
And of course, we have been absolutely clear that all options are on the table as we ensure the national interests of the British people, who will be very concerned at this time about how this affects the bottom line for them and their economic welfare.
We will put their national interest first, and it’s in their national interests to be negotiating with the United States an economic agreement at this time, but keeping all options on the table.
You can keep up to date with all the developments in UK politics in Andrew Sparrow’s brilliant live blog.
