Europe must face up to 'tensions' with Donald Trump, Keir Starmer says

Keir Starmer said Europe needs to face up to the tensions in its relationship with Donald Trump, using a summit in Yerevan to argue that allies should deal with the strain together.

The remarks came at the European Political Community summit in Armenia on May 4, where leaders discussed security, Ukraine, connectivity and wider European cooperation. Multiple reports quoted Starmer saying the alliances are under more tension than they should be.

The summit also produced a set of concrete UK and EU steps. The UK said it plans to participate in the EU’s Ukraine recovery loan and opened talks on joining the European Innovation Council Fund. Starmer also met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, with the two countries announcing a new strategic partnership covering defence, security, economic growth and democratic resilience.

Official summit materials from the European Council described the Yerevan meeting as focused on democratic resilience, connectivity and security. The wider political backdrop was the debate in Europe over how much responsibility the continent should take for its own security as Donald Trump returns to the centre of transatlantic politics.

The immediate question is whether the summit’s talk of shared responsibility turns into new policy decisions, especially on Ukraine and European defence coordination.