UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that Europe needs to shift from its over-reliance on the United States to a “more European NATO,” supported by closer defense and security ties with the United Kingdom.
In a speech addressing the looming threat from Russia, the Prime Minister insisted that “there is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain. That is the lesson of history—and it is today’s reality too.”
He stressed that while the US remains “an indispensable ally” and has made “an unparalleled contribution to European security,” Europe must evolve toward “interdependence—forging a new path towards sovereign deterrence and hard power.”
He added, “I’m talking about a vision of European security and greater European autonomy that does not herald US withdrawal but answers the call for more burden sharing in full and remakes the ties that have served us so well.”
The Prime Minister pointed to Europe’s fragmented defence industrial base as a source of gaps and duplication.
“Across Europe, fragmented industrial planning and long, drawn out procurement mechanisms have led to gaps in some areas – and massive duplication in others,” he said, calling for “collective effort to build a stronger, more integrated defense capability, backed by historic increases in spending.”
He highlighted the UK’s existing defense contributions.
“British companies already account for over a quarter of the continent’s defense industrial base.
“They are a job-creating, community-building machine, employing around 239,000 people across the UK.
“We want to bring our leadership in defence, tech and AI together with Europe – to multiply our strengths and build a shared industrial base across Europe which can turbocharge our defence production,” Starmer noted in a release on its website and also a live publication of the event on the internet.
Calling Europe “a sleeping giant,” the Prime Minister said: “Our economies dwarf Russia’s, ten times over. We have huge defence capabilities. Yet, too often, all of this has added up to less than the sum of its parts.”
He also confirmed the UK’s own military commitments.
“To meet the threats we face, the UK defence budget is rising to record levels – delivering the biggest boost to defence spending since the Cold War, totalling £270 billion this parliament alone,” he stated.
The speech highlighted examples of UK-European cooperation, including a £10 billion deal with Norway to supply their Navy with frigates, an £8 billion Typhoon deal with Turkey, and ongoing collaboration with Germany, Italy, and France on next-generation long-range missiles.
