Trump's Davos Tirade Targets UK Energy Policy and European Immigration
Former US President Donald Trump has unleashed a blistering attack on the United Kingdom's approach to North Sea oil and gas reserves during his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In a wide-ranging address that frequently veered into criticism of European policies, Trump specifically targeted Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's administration over what he described as catastrophic energy decisions.
"One-Third of What It Was"
Trump presented stark figures to support his argument, claiming that the UK now produces just one-third of the total energy from all sources that it did in 1999. "Think of that, one-third – and they're sitting on top of the North Sea, one of the greatest reserves anywhere in the world," he told reporters. "But they don't use it, and that's one reason why their energy has reached catastrophically low levels, with equally high prices."
The former president dismissed suggestions that North Sea reserves are depleted, insisting instead that "it's got 500 years" of potential. He argued that environmental regulations and fiscal policies have created an impossible environment for oil companies. "They make it impossible for the oil companies to go," Trump stated. "They take 92 per cent of the revenues. So the oil companies say, 'We can't do it.'"
Environmental Campaigners Fire Back
Environmental organisations were quick to condemn Trump's remarks. Greenpeace UK's Lily-Rose Ellis delivered a particularly scathing response, stating: "Trump's knowledge of North Sea oil and gas amounts to a tottering pile of lies." She added that "the UK Government can safely ignore advice from a climate denier bankrolled by the fossil fuel industry."
Mike Childs of Friends of the Earth echoed this sentiment, arguing that "the only people who benefit from backtracking on climate action are the polluters, billionaires and powerful vested interests profiting from fossil fuels." These responses highlight the deepening divide between Trump's energy vision and that of environmental campaigners.
Europe "Not Recognisable Anymore"
Beyond energy policy, Trump's address took aim at European immigration patterns, claiming that mass migration has fundamentally altered the continent. "Certain places in Europe are not even recognisable, frankly, anymore," he asserted. "Friends come back from different places and say 'I don't recognise it', and that's not in a positive way, that's in a very negative way."
He criticised what he described as conventional wisdom in Western capitals, saying: "The consensus was that so-called dirty jobs and heavy industries should be sent elsewhere, that affordable energy should be replaced by the green new scam, and that countries could be propped up by importing new and entirely different populations from far away lands."
Transatlantic Tensions Deepen
The comments come amid already strained relations between Trump and European leaders, with tensions particularly evident over trade policies and his expressed interest in acquiring Greenland. During his occasionally rambling address, Trump did highlight achievements from his first years back in the White House, but reserved his most pointed criticism for European energy and immigration policies.
His remarks at the Swiss Alps gathering have further exposed the ideological gulf between his vision for energy development and the UK's current approach to North Sea resources. While Trump advocates for maximum exploitation of fossil fuel reserves, the UK government faces pressure from environmental groups to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources.
