Starmer warns Europe must end overdependence on US

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.