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Sir Keir Starmer has warned that Europe must move away from excessive reliance on the US for its security and accept more “burden sharing” as he indicated the Western alliance must be “rebuilt”.
Britain’s Prime Minister used a speech at the Munich security conference on Saturday to express his appetite for closer integration between Britain and Europe on defence.
He called for a new multilateral defense initiative that could monitor joint arms purchases and reduce the cost of rearmament, as first reported by the FT.
“We are no longer the Britain of the Brexit years. Because we know that, in dangerous times, we will not be able to turn inward and take control – we will surrender it. And I will not let that happen,” Starmer said in a discussion session with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Speaking before Starmer, von der Leyen called Britain “a steadfast ally and friend.”
He said, “In these highly volatile times, Europe, and especially Britain, must come closer together… 10 years after Brexit, our future is as tied up as ever.” “It’s in our common interest to be ambitious about our partnership. Because the EU, the UK… we’re in this together. And we always will be together.”
Starmer set out a vision of security for the continent that includes “greater European autonomy” and is “not the beginning of an American withdrawal but a full response to the call for greater burden sharing, and rebuilding the relationships that have served us so well”.
The common theme of the crowded series of meetings and speeches at the Munich Conference was the erosion of the international order and the rise of great power politics. This comes after a tumultuous first year of Donald Trump’s second US presidential term.
In his speech, Starmer acknowledged that Washington’s defense posture is evolving following the publication of the US National Security Strategy in December.
London and other European capitals should build a more integrated defense capability, he said, arguing that the continent’s fragmented defense industrial base and drawn-out procurement mechanisms have led to duplication and left gaps.
He highlighted Britain’s deals to supply frigates to Norway and Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey, as well as London’s cooperation with Berlin, Rome and Paris on next-generation long-range missiles – while stressing that more must be done as the threat from Russia grows.
In particular, they expressed their desire to participate in joint initiatives with European partners to accelerate new defense investments and ensure that excess cash is used most effectively.
Currently “Europe is a sleeping giant” whose defense capabilities are less than the sum of its parts, Starmer said, while stressing that collectively the continent’s economies are 10 times larger than Russia’s.
Signaling that despite Britain’s tight financial position, he would be forced to commit more money to defence, he said: “We have to engage with the public and build consensus around the decisions we need to make to keep us all safe.”
The UK military faces a funding gap of up to £28bn over the next 10 years and a standoff over how to close the gap has led to repeated delays in the publication of the government’s Defense Investment Plan, which was initially due to be published last autumn.
Britain’s Defense Secretary John Healey told reporters at the summit that military-to-military ties are as strong as ever despite the political unrest. “Europe moving forward does not mean America retreating.”
Conservatives criticized Starmer’s plans for closer cooperation with Europe. Tory shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said, “Keir Starmer has a habit of handing over sovereignty and now he is once again advocating greater EU integration and less control for the UK.”
Starmer also used his speech as an opportunity to indirectly attack Reform UK and the Green parties over their stance on defence.
The Prime Minister said, “It is surprising that different ends of the spectrum share so much. Soft on Russia and weak on NATO – if not outright opposed.”
Reformist UK leader Nigel Farage was criticized in 2014 for saying he “admired” Russian President Vladimir Putin as an “operator”. Farage’s allies say the comments are outdated and taken out of context.
Green Party leader Zac Polanski supports Britain’s withdrawal from NATO, although this is not party policy. “Donald Trump has so much influence inside NATO that I don’t think it’s possible to reform NATO from within,” he told the Guardian last month.
Starmer also rejected suggestions that recent domestic political turmoil has left him politically weak. “I finished the week stronger than I started the week and that’s a pretty good place to be,” he said.
