Starmer to tell world leaders that UK must learn to curb its dependence on the US
The Prime Minister is in Germany for the Munich Security Conference
Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce that Europe must relinquish its reliance on the United States in an address to other leaders at a defence summit.
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The Prime Minister will also argue for the UK to move closer to the European Union, while calling for more of a "defence alliance" between nations.
Sir Keir will address around 50 other world leaders at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, where he has already met with Germany’s Friedrich Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron.
He is expected to say: "We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore. Because we know that, in dangerous times, we would not take control by turning inward – we would surrender it and I won’t let that happen.
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"There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain. That is the lesson of history – and it is today’s reality too."
The Prime Minister will praise the US’s contribution to European security and say it remains a key ally.
But as Mr Trump’s administration has upended the international order and denigrated traditional allies in Europe, the bloc must reduce its dependence on the US and take more responsibility for its own defence, Sir Keir will suggest.
European defence and the future of the transatlantic relationship are on the agenda at the conference, at a time when America’s commitment to NATO has been called into question.
Tensions flared over the US's recent threat to take over Greenland from NATO partner Denmark, and insults directed at various leaders.
In his speech to the summit on Saturday, the Prime Minister will call for a more European defence alliance and greater autonomy for the continent.
All eyes will be on whether US secretary of state Marco Rubio will take a similar approach to vice president JD Vance, who at last year’s gathering made waves by criticising European countries, including the UK, over free speech and immigration.
Sir Keir will add: "I’m talking about a vision of European security and greater European autonomy, that does not herald US withdrawal but answers the call for more burden sharing in full, and remakes the ties that have served us so well."
He will highlight Europe’s failure to make the most of its defence capabilities and call for closer UK-EU defence co-operation "to multiply our strengths and build a shared industrial base across Europe which can turbocharge our defence production."
On Friday, Sir Keir met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz where he said: "There’s no UK security without European security.
"There’s no European security without UK security. So we have to work together."
Mr Merz told the meeting: "So we are facing the world in trouble, and now it’s important to keep the Europeans together, and the Europeans include the UK."