British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to reset U.K.’s European relations, soured by Brexit, as he hosted dozens of leaders for a key summit Thursday.
Starmer, elected premier two weeks ago, told more than 45 European leaders the U.K. would be a “friend and partner” as he started work to improve ties hit by the country’s tortuous departure from the European Union under his Conservative predecessors.
“We want to work with all of you to reset relationships, rediscover our common interest and renew the bonds of trust and friendship that brighten the fabric of European Life,” Starmer told them as he opened the European Political Community (EPC) summit.
Europe is grappling with challenges ranging from supporting Kyiv after Russia’s full-scale invasion to breaking up people-smuggling gangs contributing to record levels of irregular migration.
Ukraine, illegal migration, energy security and defending democracies are top of the agenda at Blenheim Palace, the stately home which was the birthplace of Britain’s World War II leader Winston Churchill, near Oxford in southern England.
“It’s very important to be here, for Ukraine, especially this tough period, for us during the war,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was due to hold discussions with Starmer and meet head of state King Charles III.
“For us, it’s very important to maintain unity in Europe because always this unity leads to strong decisions.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attended an EPC meeting for the first time, as did the heads of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe.
“We will not be coerced. We will continue to support Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said on arrival.
Migration ‘crisis’
Starmer, who led Labour to a landslide election win over the Tories on July 4, has said the one-day summit would “fire the starting gun on this government’s new approach to Europe.”
He was set to tell fellow leaders that the UK will take “a more active and greater convening role on the world stage, to strike genuine partnerships that have impact on people’s lives”.
He will also say that border security will be “at the heart of the government’s reset with Europe”, according to Downing Street.
New Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in broadcast interviews early Thursday that it was also about post-Brexit relations with more than just the 27 EU members invited.
Starmer called irregular migration a “crisis” affecting every country attending. More than 380,000 undocumented migrants crossed the EU’s borders last year, and tens of thousands made their way to Britain.
The Labour leader has promised to “smash the gangs” behind migrant Channel crossings from northern France in small boats, which dogged the Tory administrations under Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
“There’s no silver bullet,” said French President Emmanuel Macron as he arrived at the summit, the morning after one migrant died and 71 others were rescued off the French coast.
“I think our cooperation to prevent this migration before the arrivals is the most efficient one,” he added.
The conference will also see Britain reaffirm its “ironclad” support for Ukraine and likely push for additional international military and financial aid to be supplied to Kyiv.
It comes amid the increasing possibility of Donald Trump regaining the White House in November and with fears over his commitment to the Western military alliance NATO.
‘New chapter’
Starmer, who supported Britain remaining in the EU during the 2016 Brexit referendum, has ruled out rejoining the European single market, customs union or freedom of movement.
But he does want to negotiate a new security pact with the bloc and a veterinary agreement to ease border checks on agricultural foods as well as an improved trading deal.
Starmer will hold several conversations with European leaders during the conference, including Macron.
“It might put some flesh on the bones of how exactly they want to go about it or a little bit more detail,” Anand Menon of the U.K. in Changing Europe think-tank told AFP.
European Council chief Charles Michel said he hoped that a “new chapter” would be opened with the U.K.
A high-ranking EU official said there were “good vibes” in the early contacts with the new Labour government but “now we need to go deeper.”
The official said Brussels would need to see the details of any potential new security pact, but warned that the EU was not looking to “reopen” the Brexit deal with Britain.
“Any proposals that would be made would be looked at with an open mind and favorably,” the official said.
“What we think is important is the implementation of existing agreements.”
