‘Britain is back,’ new UK PM Keir Starmer tells Europe
- The prime minister is seeking to rebuild bridges after Brexit, telling EU leaders the country will ‘reset’ its approach
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday pledged to strengthen ties with European allies on security and illegal migration, insisting “Britain is back” as he seeks to rebuild bridges after Brexit.
Labour leader Starmer, elected prime minister two weeks ago, said the UK would be “resetting our approach” as he started work to improve relations hit by the country’s tortuous departure from the European Union under his Conservative predecessors.
“We are going to deepen our cooperation on defence and security and on illegal migration,” he told more than 45 leaders as he opened the European Political Community (EPC) meeting at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill.
Europe is grappling with challenges ranging from supporting Kyiv after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine to breaking up people-smuggling gangs contributing to record levels of irregular migration.
In the background hangs the increasing possibility of Donald Trump regaining the White House in November, with fears over his commitment to the Western military alliance Nato.
Trump’s newly elected running mate J.D. Vance is an outspoken critic of military aid to Ukraine and has pushed for negotiations with Russia to end the two-year-plus war.
