Sir Keir Starmer has called on Europe to tackle “vile” trafficking gangs and do more to support Ukraine, warning we cannot be “spectators in this chapter of history”.
Ahead of his first major European summit as prime minister, Sir Keir promised to change the way the United Kingdom engages with Europe post-Brexit and Conservative rule.
Rishi Sunak had announced that the UK will host European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace, Sir Winston Churchill’s former residence, with more than 45 leaders to attend on Thursday.
Migration, energy and “defending and securing democracy” high on the agenda, according to Number 10.
In a statement as he prepares to host the summit, Sir Keir said Europe must “do more and go further” to address “vile” people-trafficking and Russia’s “barbaric” war.
He said: “Europe is at the forefront of some of the greatest challenges of our time.
“Russia’s barbaric war continues to reverberate across our continent, while vile smuggling gangs traffic innocent people on perilous journeys that too often end in tragedy.
“We cannot be spectators in this chapter of history. We must do more and go further, not just for the courageous Ukrainians on the front lines, or those being trafficked from country to country, but so our future generations look back with pride at what our continent achieved together.
“I said I would change the way the UK engages with our European partners, working collaboratively to drive forward progress on these generational challenges, and that work starts at the European Political Community meeting on Thursday.”
Along with this week’s Nato summit, and the EPC gathering on July 18 provides an early opportunity for face-to-face talks on the future of the UK’s relationship with its allies across the Channel.
Sir Keir said the flurry of pre-arranged diplomatic engagements meant that meetings which would normally take months to arrange could happen within the first fortnight of his premiership.
The Prime Minister wants an ambitious new UK-EU security pact to strengthen co-operation and seeks closer work on defence with key allies such as France and Germany.
In a sign of the importance placed on such efforts by the Labour administration, Sir Keir has given Nick Thomas-Symonds the newly created job of minister for European relations.
He is expected to meet French President Emmanual Macron, who pioneered the EPC event, for a bilateral dinner after the summit, and Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris beforehand for their first official inward visit.
It came after Sir Keir Starmer defended Joe Biden’s leadership of the Nato summit despite the US President confusing Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.
The prime minister, who earlier insisted President Biden was not senile and was on “good form”, faced questions about the president’s mental ability just moments after the US leader’s gaffe.
President Biden introduced Ukrainian president Mr Zelensky as “president Putin” at an event attended by Sir Keir at the Nato summit in Washington.