Richard Boyd Barrett Criticises Europe’s Response on Greenland and Gaza
Richard Boyd Barrett criticised European double standards, accusing governments of "bending the knee" to Trump's bullying and imperialism and of backing policies with harmful consequences for Greenland, Gaza and other regions. He called for support for Greenlandic self-determination and condemned arms exports and alliances that he said enable violence and repression.
Accusation of double standards
He argued that European governments — and his own government — have shown hypocrisy by soft-pedalling and accommodating Trump while now reacting angrily when European interests are affected. He described this conduct as "double standards, the hypocrisy" that has "now come back to bite" governments.
Support for Greenlandic self-determination
He said the people of Greenland, whom he also referred to by their name for the island Nanuput, do not want to be invaded or have their future controlled by outside powers. He said they are also victims of Danish colonialism and voiced support for the Inuit right to decide their own future.
Case of an Irish protester detained in Germany
He raised the case of Daniel Tatlow de Valle, an Irish citizen detained in a German prison after protests against Elbit Systems. He described severe restrictions on the detainee — 23 hours a day in his cell, limited visits, screened contact with parents, vetted books — and said the charge under organised crime legislation followed civil disobedience against an arms company supplying weapons used in Gaza.
Criticism of international alliances and arms exports
He criticised European trade and diplomatic relations with countries he named, including arms-supplying states such as Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and said such relationships have enabled violence in places like Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere. He contrasted condemnation of some authoritarian regimes with continued engagement on trade missions with others.
Call for action against bullying and imperialism
He urged an end to double standards and demanded actual action against what he called Trump's bullying and imperialism, arguing that consistent policy and solidarity with affected peoples are needed rather than selective outrage.
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Minister, the double standards, the hypocrisy, the soft peddling, the bending the knee to Trump's bullying and imperialism has now come back to bite European governments and indeed our government. Because no matter how much you bend the knee, our governments, worse, have gone along with his horrific policies, most notably European governments, who are now horrified about the threats to Greenland, or more accurately, by the way, Nanuput, which is what the people of Greenland call it. I spoke alongside an Inuit person last night from Lanuk, from the capital, who pointed out that they are also the victims of Danish colonialism. But now the Irish government have suddenly taken to referring to the Kingdom of Denmark. Since when are we trumpeteers for kingdoms? Well, yeah, we stand with the people of Nanuput and the Inuit people for their right to self-determination to decide what happens. But indeed, they certainly do not want to be invaded or taken over by Donald Trump, but nor do they want their future controlled by the Kingdom of Denmark. But, you see, this is the problem, you know, yesterday, for example, I met with the German ambassador, along with Duncan Smith from the Labour Party, to discuss Daniel Tatlow de Valle, an Irish citizen, who is languishing in a German prison since August, because he protested against Elbit Systems, who have armed the Israel's genocide, and of course, Germany, one of the biggest exporters of weapons, and one of the biggest supporters to the Israeli state, despite the genocidal massacre, years of apartheid, the siege of Gaza, and so on. And Daniel is languishing in a prison, 23 hours a day, about two half-an-hour visits a month, not even allowed to hug his parents. He's screened off, not allowed, his books are vetted, so he can't get his own books, and he's going to be in prison until at least probably the middle of the year, and he's being done under legislation for organised crime. Now, they did engage in civil disobedience against Elbit Systems, but Elbit Systems are providing the weapons to slaughter, in a genocidal massacre, the people of Gaza. So he was acting in good faith, and now he's languishing in a German prison. But that speaks to your allies, your partners, the Coalition of the Willing, who are now angry because the interests of Europe have been infringed, but we're quite happy when Venezuela is attacked, when their partners in Europe continue to provide the weapons for Israel to commit the genocide, continue to have normal relationships with the United Arab Emirates as they provide the weapons to the RSF to commit a genocide in Sudan, which has killed 150,000 people, or the Saudi dictatorship. You know, we have the justified criticism of the Iranian regime for brutal repression of their own people that should be condemned. But then at the same time, we go on trade missions to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who are even more brutal in dictatorships. Or with the Egyptian regime, we're also backing another faction in Sudan, who are also guilty of complicity with the horrors that have displaced 12 million people in Sudan and led to 150,000 deaths. So surely now, what actually this should prompt is an end to the double standards of European government and actual action against the bullying of Trump and his imperialism.
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