No UK security without Europe, Starmer says at Munich summit

The UK and Europe depend on each other for security, Sir Keir Starmer told Germany’s Friedrich Merz, who warned of a “world in trouble”.

As the two leaders met at the Munich Security Conference, the Prime Minister said: “There’s no UK security without European security. There’s no European security without UK security.

“So we have to work together.”

They also agreed, in trilateral talks with Emmanuel Macron, that the continent must take more responsibility for its own defence.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “They agreed that Europe needs to step up and do more to share the burden while protecting the enduring strength of the Euro-Atlantic partnership.”

“We must take advantage of our huge defence capability in order to bolster our shared security and deliver for people at home,” the Prime Minister added.

And German Chancellor Mr Merz said: “So we are facing the world in trouble, and now it’s important to keep the Europeans together, and the Europeans include the UK. It’s not just the European Union.

“This is also the United Kingdom. It’s also Norway.

“And we are reaching out even to Canada, a country which is now really willing to co-operate with the Europeans more than ever before.”

Both leaders earlier met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to discuss efforts to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as the four-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion nears.

Mr Zelensky said his country was counting on help to rebuild its energy infrastructure which has been under attack from Russia.

He wrote on X after the talks: “Ukraine will prepare and send partners a list of needs to support our energy infrastructure and military capabilities. We are counting on their support.”

The future of transatlantic ties is also the focus of discussions as Europe grapples with antagonism from US President Donald Trump’s White House.

The US delegation is being led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who pointed to a “new era in geopolitics” before his arrival.

The Prime Minister was seated next to Mr Rubio at the Ukraine meeting, although the US politician had not arrived by the time the press left the room for the private talks to commence.

​Leaders from France, Denmark, Nato, the European Council, European Commission and other countries were also present.

The meeting was billed as an extension of talks held in Berlin in December, when European leaders set out conditions for any peace deal with Russia, including security guarantees backed by the US.

Another round of US-brokered negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the war are set to take place next week.

Sir Keir will address the conference on Saturday morning and take part in a moderated conversation titled “Principled and pragmatic: wielding power in a world in disarray” with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

He is expected to call for the bloc to move away from its overdependence on Washington.

The conference is being held at a time when the US’s commitment to Nato has been called into question.

Tensions flared over Mr Trump’s recent threat to take over Greenland from Nato partner Denmark.

US vice-president JD Vance’s criticism of European countries, including the UK, over free speech and immigration last year set the tone for a dramatic deterioration in relations.