Starmer arrives at Nato summit in Turkey as he calls for 'unity and strength' among leaders
The Prime Minister said the gathering would prove to be “very important” against the backdrop of the Ukraine conflict
Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated the importance of Nato leaders showing “unity and strength” as he arrived at the summit in Turkey.
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The alliance met at the summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, with world leaders including Starmer, Trump and Macron in attendance.
The Prime Minister said the gathering would prove to be “very important” against the background of the Ukraine war and the US conflict with Iran.
Speaking to reporters at the Turkish presidential palace, Starmer said: “It’s really great to be here for what will turn out to be a very important Nato summit, with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz.
“There’s a lot of really important issues for us to discuss and agree on action coming out of this summit."
Read more: Donald Trump says US could pull troops from Europe as he slams Nato over Greenland dispute
“It’s very important that, as leaders, we show the unity and the strength of Nato at a time like this, and that’s what we’ll do at this summit here this morning,” the PM added.
It comes as Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte described overnight military action by the US in Iran as "absolutely necessary" following airstrikes.
He was also seen to insist the US remains committed to the alliance as he arrived at its summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday morning.
Ahead of the summit, Mr Trump reopened questions about his commitment to the alliance, insisting again that Greenland – which belongs to Nato ally Denmark – should be part of the US.
He said the dispute over Greenland earlier this year had “hurt my relationship with Nato”, and suggested the US could pull all its troops out of Europe.
Essentially a re-run of last year’s summit in The Hague, the meeting in Ankara has been focused on the US president and his ongoing criticism of the alliance.
Ahead of the summit, Mr Trump reopened questions about his commitment to the alliance, insisting again that Greenland – which belongs to Nato ally Denmark – should be part of the US.
But at a meeting with Mr Rutte, the US president renewed his attacks on Nato, saying he would “relate my problems” at Wednesday’s session of the North Atlantic Council.
He complained again about Greenland and defence spending, saying he was “very upset with Nato”, and criticised the UK for refusing permission for the US to use British bases to launch strikes against Iran at the beginning of the war.