Britain turns away from the US and seeks a new alliance with the EU

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that the UK's long-term national interests require a closer partnership with the European Union. In a speech to Downing Street, he cited the war in the Middle East and the increasingly volatile international situation as reasons for more ambitious cooperation with Europe - both in defence and economics, The Guardian reported.

Starmer announced that the secretary of state will convene a meeting of allied countries this week to focus on unblocking the strategic Strait of Hormuz. „After this meeting, we will invite military planners to see how the strait can be made accessible after the fighting ends. I have to be honest - it won't be easy.“ said the Prime Minister.

The clearest signal of the departure from Washington was Starmer's statement about the future of Britain as part of the European area, just before the upcoming summit with the EU. „Brexit has deeply damaged our economy. The opportunities to strengthen security and reduce the cost of living are too great to ignore,“ he said.

At the forthcoming summit, the British government wants to go further than just confirming last year's commitments. „We want to be more ambitious - deeper economic cooperation, deeper security cooperation, a partnership that reflects our common values and our common future,“ Starmer stressed.

Asked by journalists whether his deteriorating relationship with Donald Trump - who has repeatedly criticised Britain and him and is considering a US withdrawal from NATO - was behind the U-turn, the prime minister replied that he was acting solely in Britain's national interest. „Whatever the pressure or noise, I will go with what is best for Britain.“

Starmer also indicated a willingness to deepen cooperation within the single market, insisting that this does not contradict the Labour Party's electoral commitments.

The opposition was divided. The Conservatives and the Reform UK movement criticised the speech, with Reform UK describing rapprochement with the EU as „ridiculous“. The Liberal Democrats, on the other hand, welcomed what they called „a belated admission of the truth“ on the costs of Brexit, and called on the government to negotiate a customs union.

gnews.cz - GH