Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conference

The UK prime minister says stronger security relies on greater cooperation and integration across the continent

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Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need for a closer UK defence relationship with Europe, covering procurement and manufacturing, so that the UK would be at the centre of a stronger European defence setup.

In a rare visit to the Munich Security Conference, the British prime minister told the audience, to applause, “we are 10 years on from Brexit. We are not the Britain of the Brexit years.”

Starmer argued that the long-term threat posed by Russia and the need for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defence required the UK to integrate more closely on defence procurement with European allies.