British warships to be deployed to Arctic, as Starmer calls for closer ties to EU
The Prime Minister said the US, Canada and other Nato allies would join the initiative.
Sir Keir Starmer has announced that a group of British warships are to patrol the Arctic, following Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland over security concerns.
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The Prime Minister announced the British efforts to bolster security at the Munich Security Conference, saying the US, Canada and other Nato allies would join the initiative.
During his speech, Sir Keir also announced Britain will seek “deeper economic integration” with the European Union and to “move closer to the single market” in more sectors.
He insisted the EU-UK “status quo is not fit for purpose”, but he acknowledged there would be “trade-offs” as a result of the move.
Asked whether domestic affairs had weakened his position, Sir Keir claimed to have “ended the week much stronger than I started it”.
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Sir Keir’s speech at the major security gathering followed an address by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who hit out at the mistakes of Western nations over the past 40 years.
Despite the criticism, Mr Rubio sought to reconcile ties between the US and Europe, following recent turmoil in the transatlantic relationship.
The speech came just a day after Mr Rubio snubbed a Ukraine meeting at the conference on Friday, which US officials reportedly blamed on scheduling conflicts - although it was taken by some as showing the White House’s dwindling interest.
It is understood that elsewhere at the conference, Mr Rubio also met with the prime minister of Denmark, of which Greenland is a territory, to discuss the island’s future, following President Trump's claims earlier this year that he wants to take over the territory.
Speaking at the conference on Saturday, February 14, Sir Keir said: “I can announce today that the UK will deploy our carrier strike group to the North Atlantic and the High North this year, led by HMS Prince of Wales, operating alongside the US, Canada and other Nato allies in a powerful show of our commitment to Euro-Atlantic security.”
In another likely nod to Mr Trump, the Prime Minister also insisted the UK would honour the Nato commitment to defend its allies if called upon, in accordance with one of the alliance’s founding principles, Article 5.
Elsewhere, he spoke of “closer economic alignment” between the EU and UK as he shared the stage with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.
Sir Keir said: “So we must look at where we could move closer to the single market in other sectors as well, where that would work for both sides."
He added that he wanted to see the UK at the "centre of a wave of European industrial renewal", but conceded that this would come with "trade-offs".
"The status quo is not fit for purpose, and to me there’s no question where the national interest lies, and I will always fight for what’s best for my country.”
At home the Prime Minister has faced questions about his judgment in appointing Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, due to his close links with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein - with some senior Labour figures, including Scottish leader Anas Sarwar, calling for Sir Keir to resign.
Asked whether his domestic challenges left him vulnerable, the Prime Minister told the Munich conference he rejected these claims.
“No, I reject that. I ended the week much stronger than I started it.
"And that’s a very good place to be, and my party and my Government is completely united on the question of Ukraine and defence and security and the need for stronger relations with Europe on defence, on security and on economy as well.
“And so I think that there is real strength in the position I’ve now set out.”