LONDON — The “volatile” international situation requires Britain to build a closer relationship with the European Union, Keir Starmer has said.
Addressing reporters at Downing Street on Wednesday the U.K. prime minister said London and Brussels will flesh out plans for “closer economic cooperation” and tighter security ties at an upcoming summit.
“It is increasingly clear that as the world continues down this volatile path, our long-term national interest requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe and with the European Union,” Starmer said.
Starmer’s comments come amid a major transatlantic rift over Iran, the latest episode that has put Europe at odds with Donald Trump’s America.
But the British leader downplayed suggestions that he is being forced to choose between the U.S. and EU.
“I’m not going to choose because I think it’s in our interest to have a strong relationship with the U.S. and with Europe,” he said
“But I do think that when it comes to defense and security, energy, emissions and the economy, we need a stronger relationship with Europe.” He added that “successive presidents” had in fact encouraged Europe to “do more” on its own.
Starmer has been negotiating a limited “reset” of relations with Brussels aimed at smoothing cross-channel trade in food, electricity, and carbon emissions — as well as more opportunities for young people.
But buoyed by a largely positive domestic reception, Starmer has since the new year hinted that he wants to expand negotiations to take in more areas — and potentially bring the U.K. back into large areas of the EU single market through aligning with regulations.
“Brexit did deep damage to our economy, and the opportunities to strengthen our security and cut the cost of living are simply too big to ignore,” he told reporters.
“So in the coming weeks, we will announce a new summit with our EU partners, and I can tell you that at that summit, the U.K. will not just ratify existing commitments made at last year’s summit.
“We want to be more ambitious, closer economic cooperation, closer security cooperation, a partnership that recognizes our shared values, our shared interest and our shared future, a partnership for the dangerous world that we must navigate together, a world where this government will be guided at all times by the interests of the British people.”
No date has been set for the next U.K.-EU summit, the second such event under Starmer’s premiership. The first, in May 2025, took place at Lancaster House in London. The second is expected to take place in Brussels in the summer.
