Prime Minister Keir Starmer Showcases Diplomatic Prowess at NATO Summit Amidst Global Tensions

Starmer displays diplomatic prowess at NATO meeting – marks his initial international trip as PM

The Prime Minister is congregating with global leaders in Washington DC for a NATO summit presided over by Joe Biden.

Political correspondent @alixculbertson

Wednesday, July 10, 2024, 4:

Sir Keir Starmer is undertaking his initial international trip as prime minister by attending a NATO summit to demonstrate his diplomatic skills.

Within a week of his inauguration as Prime South Wales, Sir Keir is attending a global leaders' gathering in Washington DC to commemorate the 75th anniversary of NATO's establishment.

The alliance is anticipated to emphasize its backing for Ukraine following Russia's attacks on Ukrainian urban areas this Monday, which included targeting a children's hospital in Kyiv.

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Representatives from partner nations of NATO, including Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are present at the summit.

During his encounter with the Ukrainian president, Sir Keir emphasized that despite the shift in the UK's administration, the nation's stance and commitment in backing Ukraine in its conflict with Russia remains steadfast.

The gathering follows a visit to Ukraine by his defense secretary, which occurred less than two days post-election.

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Sir Keir stated that the summit enabled a series of meetings, which would typically take months to schedule, to occur within the initial week of his leadership.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, recently appointed as the minister for European relations, is accompanying Sir Keir in Washington, together with Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defense Secretary John Healey.

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The Prime Minister's initial engagement was with Olaf Scholz of Germany, who shared a photo of the two on social media, captioning it: "Wonderful to meet you at the NATO summit, Keir Starmer.

"Companions. Collaborators. Associates."

Sir Keir informed journalists of his intention to fully capitalize on the diplomatic openings available.

"He mentioned that this gives us a chance to enhance our relationships with numerous leaders from NATO and beyond, including those from the EU."

"This is a continuation of the conversations I've been having with world leaders, following the King's request for me to assemble a government."

The Prime Minister, aiming to enhance trade ties and bolster defense collaboration with the European Union, expressed his belief that there is "considerable potential to strengthen our defense and security partnership with the EU."

Military budget allocations have been a significant topic within NATO, with Sir Keir advocating for other member nations to boost their financial contributions.

He announced that a comprehensive examination of the UK's defence and security policies is scheduled to start next week. This review aims to establish a "roadmap" for boosting the UK's defence expenditure to 2.5% of GDP.

Sir Keir has not specified when this goal will be achieved; however, Luke Pollard, the armed forces minister, announced on Wednesday that they intend to finalize the review within a year.

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The gathering occurs while US Democrats are concerned that Donald Trump might succeed Joe Biden as president, amid inquiries about Biden's health.

Mr. Trump has consistently urged European countries to increase their defense budgets if they wish to maintain the security support of the United States.

Next week, the UK will serve as the venue for a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC), offering a chance for initial in-person discussions about the future ties between the UK and its neighboring countries.

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