Britain Says Tanker Seizure Is a Win for Trans-Atlantic Security but Tensions Loom Over Greenland
LONDON (AP) — The U.S. seizure of a Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the North Atlantic was seen by some as the unilateral action of an America-first government with scant regard for other countries’ views. Britain calls it an example of trans-Atlantic cooperation in support of international rules. The U.K. government argues that the interception of the vessel by American special forces backed by British sea and air support, alongside a U.S. pledge of security guarantees for Ukraine, vindicate Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s efforts to keep Trump from abandoning America’s European allies. “The U.K. is trying hard to find positive things to say about all this,” Bronwen Maddox, director of international affairs think-tank Chatham House, said Thursday. “The tanker gives governments like Keir Starmer’s a way to support the U.S. without supporting everything it’s doing. “You can see the dilemma: The U.K. and Europe don’t want to provoke Trump and the administration, which might put at risk first the defense of Ukraine and second the defense of Europe and third their trade deals,” Maddox said. “But …
