British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged European nations to strengthen their defence capabilities and be prepared to protect their people and values, as he addressed world leaders at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
According to BBC, he said Europe must be ready to stand on its own when it comes to security and defence commitments. Warning that Russian rearmament could accelerate after any future peace deal in Ukraine, he said European countries must be prepared to deter aggression and, if necessary, be ready to fight.
The Prime Minister also announced that the UK would deploy its carrier strike group to the Arctic and High North to help counter Russian threats. He said the United States, Canada and other members of NATO would join the effort.
Reaffirming Britain's support for Nato's Article 5 principle, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all, Starmer said the UK's commitment remains as strong as ever. His remarks come after past comments by Donald Trump questioning whether European allies would meet their obligations.
Earlier, Ursula von der Leyen described Starmer as a reliable ally and said Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defence.
In a sign of shifting policy, Starmer also called for closer economic alignment between the UK and the EU. He said the current arrangement following Brexit in 2020 was not fit for purpose and acknowledged that any deeper cooperation would involve trade-offs. He argued that stronger economic ties would support growth and increase defence spending.
The speech followed a difficult week for the Prime Minister at home. Questions over his earlier appointment of Peter Mandelson had led to political pressure, with some Labour figures calling for his resignation. However, Starmer told the conference he had ended the week stronger than he began it.
