00:09British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to deliver a major shift in the United Kingdom's
00:15foreign policy stance, calling on Europe to reduce its reliance on American military support
00:21following Donald Trump's return to the White House. In a significant speech at the Munich
00:26Security Conference, Starmer is expected to urge deeper European defence cooperation and greater
00:33strategic autonomy, signalling a more assertive approach than his government has previously taken.
00:39For nearly a year, Starmer has carefully balanced relations between Washington and Brussels,
00:45avoiding choosing sides while maintaining Britain's historic role as a transatlantic bridge.
00:51But that tone is now changing. According to excerpts released by his office, Starmer will tell
00:58European leaders that the continent must step up its own defence responsibilities in light of reduced
01:04certainty from the United States. He will say, quote,
01:08I'm talking about a vision of European security and greater European autonomy,
01:13one that does not herald US withdrawal, but answers the call for more burden sharing.
01:18The message is clear. Europe must prepare to do more for its own security.
01:24Since Donald Trump's return to office, relations between the US and Europe have faced renewed strain.
01:31Trump's rhetoric on NATO funding, his controversial stance on Greenland and temporary withdrawals of
01:37diplomatic support have raised concerns among European leaders about the long-term durability of the
01:43transatlantic alliance. Although diplomatic efforts prevented a full breakdown, British officials
01:49privately admit that recent weeks of high-stakes negotiations exposed vulnerabilities in the partnership.
01:56Starmer now appears ready to acknowledge that reality publicly.
02:00In one of the most striking lines of his speech, Starmer will declare,
02:04we are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore. He will emphasise that British security is inseparable
02:11from European security, saying there is no British security without Europe and no European security
02:18without Britain. This marks a notable rhetorical shift from previous governments that emphasised
02:24sovereignty and distance from Brussels. Six years after Brexit, Starmer is signalling closer economic and
02:32defence cooperation with the European Union. At the core of Starmer's proposal is deeper defence
02:38integration. He will argue that Europe's fragmented defence industry has created duplication in some
02:45areas and dangerous capability gaps in others. Starmer is expected to say,
02:50Europe is a sleeping giant. Our economies dwarf Russia's ten times over. We have huge defence
02:57capabilities, yet too often this has added up to less than the sum of its parts. Behind the scenes,
03:04Britain is reportedly in discussions with European allies about multinational defence borrowing
03:09to help finance increased military spending. The goal? Faster procurement, joint stockpiling and
03:16coordinated investment. However, questions remain about how quickly the UK can scale up defence
03:23and spending given domestic fiscal pressures. While pushing for closer ties, Starmer also faces
03:30challenges. There is growing concern within the UK government that protectionist measures being
03:35developed by the European Union, including proposals under the so-called Made in Europe industrial strategy,
03:42could exclude British firms from key defence and technology supply chains. Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer,
03:49Rachel Reeves, has urged European counterparts to widen such initiatives to include trusted partners
03:55like the UK. The issue highlights the delicate balance Starmer must strike, rebuilding ties without accepting
04:03second-tier status outside the bloc. Starmer's speech does not call for American withdrawal from Europe.
04:10Instead, it calls for burden-sharing, a long-standing demand from Washington, now intensified under Trump. The shift suggests
04:19Britain sees strategic autonomy not as a rejection of the United States, but as insurance against unpredictability. For Europe,
04:28the message is unmistakable. Economic strength must translate to military capability. As the Munich Security Conference
04:36unfolds, all eyes will be on whether European leaders respond positively to Starmer's call. If embraced, this could mark the
04:44beginning of a new era in European defence cooperation, one shaped less by reliance on Washington and more by shared
04:52continental responsibility. For Britain, it may also signal a defining moment in its post-Brexit identity. We will continue to
05:01monitor
05:02developments from Munich.
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