Keir Starmer Calls Choosing Between US and EU "Totally Unserious"
4 min read
It is “totally unserious” to suggest that the UK must choose between siding with Europe or the United States in its approach to the war in Ukraine, Keir Starmer has said.
The prime minister described the US as an "indispensable" ally in a House of Commons statement on Monday afternoon.
Starmer updated MPs on government efforts to help bring about peace in the region after hosting a summit with European leaders on Sunday and meeting US president Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday.
At the summit in London on Sunday, Starmer said the UK and other European countries were ready to form a "coalition of the willing" — a commitment to defend Ukraine militarily if a peace deal with Russia is agreed.
Some opposition MPs had urged Starmer to distance the UK from the US after how Trump and his vice president JD Vance treated Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during his own trip to Washington last week triggered outrage in the UK.
However, in his statement today, the prime minister stressed that the government must work with both the US and Europe to secure a peace deal in Ukraine.
“I do want to be crystal clear: we must strengthen our relationship with America, for our security, for our technology, for our trade and investment.
“They are and always will be indispensable, and we will never choose between either side of the Atlantic," he said.
"If anything, the past week has shown that the idea is totally unserious, because while some people may enjoy the simplicity of taking a side, this week has shown with total clarity that the US is vital in securing the peace we all want to see in Ukraine.”
Starmer's meetings with Trump, Zelensky and European leaders last week followed the prime minister announcing that UK defence spending will increase to 2.5 per cent by 2027.
The PM described his meeting with European leaders on Sunday as productive, and explained that world leaders had outlined four clear principles they would rally behind to end the war in Europe. They included more military aid to Ukraine, further economic pressure on Russia, doubling down on military aid and developing a 'coalition of the willing.'
Starmer said the UK must lead from the front and at pace, warning that Britain and other countries that are in the coalition of the willing cannot afford to wait for governments that are "reluctant" to contribute to the defence of Ukraine.
"We have to lead from the front, and therefore we need a coalition of the willing, because otherwise we will move at the speed of the most reluctant, and that will be too slow.
"A number of countries and allies indicated their support, they will set that out in due course, I won't pretend that every country is in the same place on this," he said.
Starmer added any peace deal must avoid repeating the mistakes of the Minsk accords – signed in 2014 to end the Donbas war – which fell apart in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
“The war did not begin three years ago," Starmer said.
"That was merely the latest and most brutal escalation. [Ukraine has] signed agreements with Putin [Vladimir, Russian president], before they've experienced the nature of his diplomacy and the calibre of his work. We cannot accept a weak deal like Minsk again.
“And yet I feel very strongly that the future of Ukraine is vital for our national security. Russia is a menace in our waters and skies.
"They've launched cyber attacks on our NHS, assassination attempts in our streets.
He added: "We stand by Ukraine because it's the right thing to do. But we also stand by them because it's in our interest to do so.
“Because if we do not achieve a lasting peace, then the instability and insecurity that has hit the living standards of working people in Britain [will] only get worse. And Putin's appetite for the conflict and chaos, that will only grow...
“It is in our interests [that] Britain will lead from the front for the security of our continent, the security of our country, and the security of the British people. We must now win the peace.”
Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch expressed her support for the plan set out by Starmer.
The prime minister also received supportive contributions from senior Conservatives and former Cabinet ministers James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat — reflecting cross-party backing for government efforts to bring about peace in Ukraine.
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