Speech

Prime Minister's remarks in Brussels: 3 February 2025

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's remarks in Brussels.

Thank you, Mark 鈥 it鈥檚聽very good to be here.

I should say it鈥檚 very good to be back here.

And as you know, the UK鈥檚 commitment to NATO is stronger than ever 鈥

Because the need for NATO is clearer than ever.

We鈥檝e had聽a very good and聽productive discussion today鈥

On how we can meet the rising threats that Russia poses across our continent鈥

Including the situation, of course,聽in Ukraine.

A couple of weeks ago, as you know,聽I was in Kyiv鈥

I saw residential buildings, destroyed just days before.

I met soldiers in the ICU鈥

Recovering from really terrible burns.

And I met children, whose parents are out there now鈥

On the frontline.

And, it鈥檚 yet another reminder鈥

That this is a聽not聽a war not just聽in聽Ukraine鈥

It鈥檚 a war聽on聽Ukraine鈥

Against those children and their future.

That鈥檚 why 鈥 together 鈥

We stand with them.

We are all working to end this war鈥

But let鈥檚 be absolutely clear 鈥

Peace will come through strength.

And we must do all we can now to support Ukraine鈥檚 defence鈥

And that means聽stabilising聽the front line鈥

Providing the kit and the training they need.

And that鈥檚 why, this year鈥

The UK will give more military support to Ukraine than ever

before.

We need to see all allies stepping up 鈥 particularly in Europe.

President Trump has threatened more sanctions on Russia鈥

And it鈥檚 clear that that鈥檚 got Putin rattled.

We know that he鈥檚 worried about the state of the Russian economy.

So I鈥檓 here to work with our European partners on keeping up the

辫谤别蝉蝉耻谤别鈥

Targeting the energy revenues and the companies supplying his

missile factories鈥

To crush Putin鈥檚 war machine.

Because ultimately 鈥

Alongside our military support鈥

That is what will bring peace closer.

And we must keep working together to bolster NATO.

And as you say, things that would have provoked utter outrage, just a few years

补驳辞鈥

Have now become almost commonplace:

Russian spy ships loitering off the British coast鈥

A campaign of sabotage across Europe鈥

Cyber-attacks, election interference, and attempted assassinations.

Russia is seeking to destabilise聽our聽continent 鈥 target聽our聽values.

So we should still be outraged.

And we must harden European鈥檚聽defence.

In the UK we are proud to be聽a leading NATO ally鈥

Part of the Forward Land Forces鈥β犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅

Helping to police our skies and patrol our seas.

Our defence spending is of course聽2.3% of GDP now鈥

And we are working聽hard work to set the path to 2.5%鈥

And NATO plans and requirements鈥

As well as the principle of 鈥淣ATO First鈥濃

Will be at the heart of our Strategic Defence Review this year.

Across Europe, we聽must shoulder more of the burden now 鈥

Because it is our burden to carry.

Now that鈥檚 what I鈥檒l be discussing at the EU Council this evening.

We want to deliver an ambitious UK-EU Security partnership鈥

To bolster NATO鈥

Covering military technology and R&D鈥

Improving the mobility of forces across Europe鈥

Protecting our critical infrastructure鈥

And deepening our industrial collaboration to聽increase defence production.

We can鈥檛 be commentators when it comes to matters of peace on

our continent.

We must lead.聽

And that is what I鈥檓 determined to do.

Thank you so much Mark.

Updates to this page

Published 3 February 2025