Sir Keir Starmer has said that Europe needs to “step up” on both security and trade, ahead of an expected meeting with the President of the European Commission later this week.
Brussels has confirmed that Ursula von der Leyen is due to meet the Prime Minister in London on Thursday, a trip that comes just weeks before a full UK-EU summit planned for May 19.
Ministers have said they want to improve the UK’s relationship with the continental bloc, on matters across trade, defence, and border security.
In recent months European leaders have been locked in discussions with a view to a peace deal for Ukraine, amid questions over what future US support for European security could look like.
Meanwhile, the imposition of import tariffs from US President Donald Trump has also thrown global trading relationships in the spotlight.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Sir Keir said: “We want to reset our relations with Europe, to improve those relations.
“That’s been brought into sharp focus in the last three or four months on the question of security and defence, we have to recognise we’re moving into a new era where all Europeans need to step up on security and defence, and that’s the discussions we’re having with the EU and others.
“I also think on trade and the economy that we need to step up and reset.
“And so those are the changes that I hope we can make in an important summit that will be a milestone in May.”
Downing Street declined to get into details about the UK’s ongoing talks with the EU over security and trade, but said that that “we want to get a better defence deal” and “we want to get a better trading relationship with the EU”.
Sir Keir is due to host Ms von der Leyen as well as President of the European Council Antonio Costa at the summit next month.
Announcing the meeting in February, Downing Street said it would be an “opportunity to make further progress on areas which will deliver tangible benefits for the people of the UK and EU and further strengthen the relationship between the UK and the EU”.
It is expected to be the first in an annual series of meetings between UK and EU leaders.
