Overview
- Keir Starmer said the UK will seek deeper economic integration with the EU, exploring closer single market alignment in selected sectors.
- He reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to NATO’s Article 5 and urged Europe to build greater hard power and cut defence fragmentation through joint procurement.
- He announced a UK carrier strike group deployment to the North Atlantic and the High North this year, led by HMS Prince of Wales alongside US, Canadian and other NATO forces.
- Starmer warned that Russia has shown a significant appetite for aggression and argued that Europe must be ready to fight to deter further escalation.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reassured European allies of Washington’s commitment while calling for institutional reforms and greater reciprocity.