Starmer aims for stronger EU ties and defence unity

UK's new PM advocates deeper cooperation at European Summit, focuses on Ukraine and migration

LONDON:

Britain's new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, emphasised European unity on Thursday, advocating for deeper defense and security cooperation to better support Ukraine and improve intelligence sharing to combat illegal migration.

Closing a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) at Blenheim Palace, Starmer highlighted the development of stronger relationships at the summit, marking his initial steps to reset post-Brexit ties with the European Union.

His push for closer cooperation comes amidst the potential election of Donald Trump, who, along with his running mate J. D. Vance, has suggested reducing US support for Ukraine, potentially leaving Europe to fill the gap.

"We are going to deepen our cooperation on defense and security and on illegal migration, where we are resetting our approach," Starmer announced at the EPC, a grouping created after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"I'm proud to leave this summit with stronger relationships across Europe and to leave the EPC in a stronger position," said Starmer, who assumed office two weeks ago following an election victory that gave his Labour Party a large majority, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.

Starmer offered other European leaders a clean slate, distancing himself from the previous government, which had threatened to withdraw from an international human rights treaty and to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

"We are going to smash the [migrant trafficking] gangs ... and we'll do this, not by committing taxpayer money to gimmicks but with practical solutions that are in line with international law," he stated.

Fresh from his first international trip as prime minister to NATO in Washington, Starmer took to the international stage again, urging Europe to increase support for Ukraine.

Support for Ukraine

Starmer highlighted the summit's commitment to cracking down on Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers used to break sanctions. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated calls for Western allies to permit long-range strikes on Russia, particularly on military airfields.

NATO members have varied in their approaches to how Ukraine can use supplied weapons. But in a move to better coordinate military support for Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that a command would be operational in Germany from September.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, currently holding the rotating EU presidency, diverged by asserting that the solution to the Ukraine war would be found at the negotiating table, not the battlefield. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz countered, stating that Orban was representing only his own country, not the EU.

Resetting EU ties

Determined to reset EU ties post-Brexit, Starmer acknowledged that rejoining the single market or customs union is unlikely in his lifetime. European leaders welcomed Starmer's defense cooperation plans, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling it "a great opportunity for a reset."

The NATO and EPC meetings provided Starmer the platform to initiate early discussions on the UK’s relationship with Europe. Officials emphasise that the ultimate goal of negotiating a security pact, covering areas such as energy, supply chains, pandemics, and migration, will come later, with the EU clear there will be no "cherry picking."

At Blenheim Palace, Starmer announced Britain's agreement to increase its presence in Europol and allocate 84 million pounds ($109 million) for aid projects to curb illegal migration to the UK.

"I'm really pleased that most of the leaders, if not all of them, are leaving here with a sense of renewed confidence in their relationship with the UK," Starmer said, as he prepared to host Macron for dinner later on Thursday.