His address comes after Pentagon deputy Elbridge Colby told the conference he wanted a new version of the alliance where members pay more and take greater responsibility for defending Europe — echoing a consistent message from the Trump administration, which has prided itself on prodding other NATO members to increase defense spending.
While Britain still sees the U.S. as an indispensable ally, according to Starmer, Europe must shift from “overdependence to interdependence.”
Starmer will also signal his willingness to work with European leaders on joint defense procurement in order to reduce gaps and duplication.
Greater integration
His speech comes in the same week as U.K. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said Britain needed to team up with European countries on defense spending, underlining the British government’s growing willingness to talk about getting closer to the EU five years after departing the union.
The Conservatives’ shadow foreign secretary, Priti Patel, accused Starmer of “rolling the pitch for greater EU integration and less control for the U.K.”
London does not have a specific procurement mechanism in mind, according to officials, but wants to explore different options for joint initiatives.