British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s surprise turn on center stage has catapulted him back onto the main political stage, as he navigates a new era in UK-EU relations and closer cooperation with European leaders.
The defense ministers of the ‘coalition of the willing,’ led by France and the UK, will meet in Brussels on Thursday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer owes his new leadership role to none other than Donald Trump.
Keir Starmer is a British politician serving as the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Labour Party.
He was born on September 2, 1962, in South London.
Before entering politics, he worked as a lawyer specializing in human rights law.
Starmer was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras in 2015.
He became the Shadow Brexit Secretary in 2016 and later served as the Shadow Home Secretary from 2020 to 2021.
The Fallout Between Ukraine and the US
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy‘s fallout with US President Donald Trump has catapulted British PM Keir Starmer back onto the main political stage. This event has brought Starmer closer to European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
A New Era in UK-EU Relations
Since Brexit nearly nine years ago, the UK has been a rather unfortunate outsider in Europe. However, with the US temporarily withdrawing its support from Ukraine, Keir Starmer appeared to be the man of the hour. The determination with which he is supporting Ukraine without alienating the US is impressive.
Closer Cooperation in Defense
The UK wants to help secure the European future alongside France. This includes closer cooperation to further reduce trade barriers, particularly in areas such as defense. At an upcoming summit in May, the EU and the UK aim to formalize their new friendship, which could lead to agreements like a veterinary agreement that could lower food prices.
However, this is still far from being a major achievement given how hard Brexit has hit the British economy. Starmer wants to secure British companies’ access to the new European armaments program, which has been ruled out for the UK until now due to EU funding restrictions.
The Role of Donald Trump
Donald Trump‘s role in Starmer’s improved standing cannot be overstated. Starmer makes every effort to flatter the president in public, describing him as a ‘true friend’ and surprising him with an invitation to another state visit to England on behalf of King Charles.
In return, Trump called Starmer a ‘very special man’ and the United Kingdom a ‘wonderful country.’ However, since the US withdrew its support from Ukraine temporarily, the situation has changed. The US is no longer a reliable ally, and its withdrawal casts doubt on NATO’s deterrent capability.
A Reset Towards Europe
Keir Starmer has turned more and more to Europe since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was kicked out of the White House in February. This has gone down well with the British population and Starmer’s poor poll ratings have recovered as a result.
However, anyone who believes that London could return to the EU in the foreseeable future is mistaken. For all his Europhilia, Keir Starmer’s ‘reset’ does not envisage a return to EU membership.
