Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned Europe must shift away from “overdependence” on the United States and towards “interdependence”, calling for a more European-led NATO underpinned by deeper UK-EU defence and industrial cooperation.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned European leaders that the continent must take far greater responsibility for its own security, arguing that Europe needs to move away from “overdependence” on the United States and towards a new model of “interdependence”.
Speaking during a major address at the Munich Security Conference, Starmer said the security environment had shifted dramatically and that European states could no longer treat war as a distant concern. He warned that Russia’s aggression was now being felt across the continent through disinformation, cyber-attacks and sabotage, alongside its ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Starmer argued that Europe must respond with a step change in military readiness and defence industrial cooperation, saying hard power had become “the currency of the age”. He said European states must be able to deter aggression and, if required, be ready to fight to protect their populations and values.
The Prime Minister described the United States as an “indispensable power” and said its contribution to European security over the past 80 years was unparalleled. However, he said Europe needed to recognise that Washington now expected Europeans to take primary responsibility for their own defence, and warned that the continent must adapt accordingly.
Starmer rejected the idea that Europe could simply replace American capabilities, but argued that European security required a long-term shift in investment and cooperation. He said Europe should focus on reducing dependencies and building deeper coordination between allies, describing this as a move from “over-dependence to interdependence” and part of a wider effort to build a more European-led NATO.
He also criticised what he described as inefficiency and duplication in European defence procurement, pointing to the wide range of equipment types in service across the continent. Starmer said Europe operated more than 20 types of frigate, 10 types of fighter aircraft and over 10 types of main battle tank, describing this as “wildly inefficient” and harmful to collective security.
Starmer argued that the war in Ukraine had demonstrated the need for faster and more coordinated action, and warned that Russia was continuing to re-arm and rebuild its industrial base despite heavy losses. He cited NATO assessments that Russia could be ready to use military force against the Alliance by the end of the decade, warning that even a peace deal in Ukraine would not automatically reduce the threat to Europe.
The Prime Minister also called for deeper UK-EU cooperation across defence, industry, technology and the wider economy, describing this as central to strengthening European security. He said the UK was “not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore” and argued that turning inward would amount to surrender in a dangerous world.
Starmer warned that European leaders must be prepared to make difficult decisions and build public consent for increased defence spending and rearmament, arguing that political hesitation could allow extremist voices to fill the vacuum. He said the “status quo is not fit for purpose” and insisted Europe must act together to deliver a stronger defence posture.
I’ll give Starmer his due, he sure can speak out of both sides of his mouth at the same time! Show us your DIP, man, and we’ll decide which side to believe.
I agree, this is the same shit the last government did, talk a good game then fail to pay up. It’s now February, the DIP was suppose to be published in August. There is no longer even a mention of it anymore in government circles.
If Starmer wants to change the narrative away from Mandelson and to shine a clear light of the populism of the greens and reform then the DIP needs to be published quickly. Otherwise he is just as full of shit as Farrage and Polanski.
Anyone with a brain knew this decades ago!
So what has Starmer & co done about it so far. Basically nothing. All mouth and no trousers. UK needs to put its money where its mouth is. Else it should learn to sit quietly on the sidelines.
Fine words, but empty without a plan & budget to rapidly build a bigger Army, Navy, Air force & everything else needed for modern warfare. £35 billion found to further fund Ukraine, that’s good. Now we need extra funding & sorting out tortuous equipment programs for our own forces. Leaving the forces languishing at all time lows is nothing like the speaches portray. It is treacherous to siort change all our allies with abysmal force levels & soul destroying for those serving. Talk is cheap. Get off your knees & start walking.
…short change…
Getting to 2.6% is a good start, but that extra could be swallowed fixing the issues with our current force structure and manning levels. Pay/accommodation. Sorting out the RFA, submarine maintenance backlog, get the deterrent patrols back down to a more sustainable 3/4 month cycle. fast jet pilot training, aircraft engineer numbers, A new fast jet trainer/Red Arrows replacement. And that’s just a tiny part of a long list of requirements and capabilitys that need attention before we can even think about expansion in any areas.
Everyone wants to replace the USA but nobody wants to be the replacement.
Since at least the 1990s, and really going back to the Cold War, successive US administrations have pressed European NATO members to spend more and reduce reliance on American capabilities. The pressure ramped up after the 2014 Wales 2% pledge and again very publicly under Trump, but this debate is hardly new. It has never been just about headline spending either. It is also about capability gaps, readiness, ammunition stockpiles and high end enablers that Europe still relies heavily on the US to provide. Thankfully, due to pressure from Trump, members have now agreed to 3.5% on core defence spending, but there is still a lack of urgency from most.
If these warnings, a full scale attrition war on the continent and an increasingly unpredictable world aren’t enough, then what exactly is this government waiting for? Starmer can lecture other leaders all he wants. Some are already massively increasing defence spending. Others are still dragging their feet, but that’s ultimately down to them. A speech from him won’t change that. This government can’t be blamed for all of the defence cuts that started in the 1990s, but we’re coming up to two years now, so what have they tangibly delivered for the armed forces so far?
Right now, Russia is the direct and immediate threat to NATO. European NATO members should be in a position where deterring Russia without the US is a no brainer, but the panic from leaders recently is a result of underinvestment over the years. While Europe is focused on the immediate threat, the US is looking at the bigger picture and long term challenges. Analysts and NATO strategists have long highlighted China as the principal long term strategic challenge. The alliance has repeatedly noted that Beijing’s technological, economic and military ambitions, from advanced military and emerging technologies to supply chain influence and global power projection, pose systemic challenges going forward. As soon as the war in Ukraine ends, a lot of the focus, especially public focus, will shift back to China just like before the war.
Empty words has usual .He makes these speeches to other nations and at the same he does nothing for our own defence but cut and won’t invest more money in the defence budget .Now he knows he can’t hide behind our American friend’s no more so he’s telling Europe to do more so he can hide behind them and no intention of increasing British forces or buying more ship’s ,Aircraft, Tanks etc .And this morning on the news the foreign Secretary saying were jointly building Frigiters with Norway ,when in reality been built in the UK and when finish going strait two the Norwegian navy making the RN wait and make do with the Type23 . OR is she just clueless like she was in her former job .