KEIR STARMER is visiting Brussels to join a meeting of European Union leaders, making him the first British prime minister to do so since Brexit.
The talks will focus on defence, security cooperation, and trade. Starmer will also meet Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The government has stated it will not rejoin the EU’s single market, customs union, or freedom of movement but is seeking a closer relationship on crime, trade, and security. The aim is to finalise a new agreement by spring, potentially at a UK-EU summit in April or May.
EU leaders are meeting at the Palais d'Egmont in Brussels, with discussions influenced by the ongoing war in Ukraine and Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Trump has pushed for the EU to take greater responsibility for its defence and has threatened new trade tariffs.
Starmer said, "President Trump has threatened more sanctions on Russia and it's clear that's got Putin rattled. We know that he's worried about the state of the Russian economy. I'm here to work with our European partners on keeping up the pressure, targeting the energy revenues and the companies supplying his missile factories to crush Putin's war machine. Because ultimately, alongside our military support, that is what will bring peace closer."
The UK is also discussing closer ties with the EU on serious and organised crime, as well as trade. Talks include allowing food and animal products to move more freely, aligning emissions trading schemes, and easing travel for musicians, BBC reported. The EU is interested in a youth mobility scheme, though the UK has rejected it.
Another proposal is the UK joining the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention, which removes customs on certain components used in manufacturing.
The UK has not ruled this out, and the car industry may benefit, though other sectors could face increased competition.
Leading the UK’s negotiations is Michael Ellam, head of the EU Relations Secretariat in the Cabinet Office.
