British PM Keir Starmer in Berlin for talks to reset ties with Europe

Starmer will discuss with Scholz, a fellow leftist, a new pact they hope will bring about an unprecedented degree of bilateral military cooperation and greater collaboration in areas such as trade and energy.

 

The pair will hold a joint press conference at midday.

 

“We must turn a corner on Brexit and fix the broken relationships left behind by the previous government,” Starmer said in a statement. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reset our relationship with Europe.”

 

Britain and Germany, NATO allies and western Europe’s biggest defence spenders, are looking for ways to increase defence cooperation ahead of a possible scaling back of U.S.

 

military support for Ukraine if former U.S. President Donald Trump returns to the White House early next year.

 

The Republican presidential candidate has warned that if elected, he would fundamentally rethink “NATO’s purpose and NATO’s mission”. He has also not committed to sending further aid to Ukraine and said he would not defend allies that do not increase their defence budgets. Trump is locked in a tight race with Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election.

 

Concerns that the U.S. could cut back support for Ukraine have increased since Trump picked JD Vance as his running mate.

Vance has stressed his opposition to the U.S. writing “blank checks” to help Ukraine fight off Russia’s two-and-a-half-year-old invasion.

 

An Anglo-German defence partnership could resemble the Lancaster House pact between Britain and France agreed in 2010, according to officials, with pledges to create a joint force and share equipment and nuclear missile research centres.

 

The two sides will continue negotiations over the next six months with the aim of completing the deal early next year, according to Starmer’s office. It would follow the signing of a joint defence declaration in July.

 

On his trip to Germany, Starmer will also hold talks with business leaders including Armin Papperger, chief executive of German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, who according to media reports last month was the target of a Russian assassination plot. The Kremlin said the reports were fake and could not be taken seriously.

 

He will also meet Christian Bruch, Siemens Energy’s CEO, which employs about 6,000 people in Britain, to discuss further investment and creating more highly skilled jobs.

 

After the talks in Germany, Starmer will head to Paris for the Paralympics opening ceremony on Wednesday night, and hold a breakfast meeting on Thursday with executives from companies including Thales, Eutelsat, Mistral AI and Sanofi.

 

Starmer is expected to meet Paralympic athletes as they prepare for competition, before having talks with President Emmanuel Macron.

First Published: Aug 28 2024 | 3:02 PM IST