UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (right) invited German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to his official residence on the 2nd, where they held a summit meeting. During this meeting, Starmer reiterated his commitment to improving relations with Germany and the European Union (EU). According to Euronews and AFP News, Starmer invited Scholz to the Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country house in Aylesbury, England, and expressed his desire to establish closer ties in defense, energy, and trade sectors. However, he ruled out the possibility of rejoining the EU.
Starmer stated, “When I assumed office as Prime Minister seven months ago, I was determined to strengthen relations between the UK and Germany, and thanks to Chancellor Scholz’s leadership, we have made significant progress.” Chancellor Scholz commented that the meeting was a sign of very good relations between the two countries and the two leaders and also a great opportunity to improve EU-UK relations.
The two leaders also focused on the issue of Ukraine, agreeing that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine underlines the importance of fostering and increasing the production capacity of Europe’s defense industry, according to the British Prime Minister’s office. Starmer emphasized the need to ensure Ukraine is in the most advantageous position to achieve “peace through strength,” while Scholz pointed out that both the US and Europe should continue to support Ukraine.
Since taking office, Starmer, who leads the Labour Party, has repeatedly expressed his intention to “reset” the strained relations between the UK and the EU post-Brexit. This meeting was in line with those efforts. He is also set to attend an informal EU summit on defense issues in Brussels, Belgium, on the 3rd, marking the first time a UK leader has been invited to an EU meeting since Brexit, as reported by the EU.