Keir Starmer and fellow European leaders have urged Donald Trump to face as much as the “bully” Vladimir Putin as they digest the potential penalties of the historic Republican election victory within the US.
Volodymyr Zelensky made a determined attraction on the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Budapest for leaders to proceed their help for Ukraine in its warfare with Russia amid fears that Mr Trump will attempt to drive a deal involving concessions.
It got here as Sir Keir faces growing strain to prioritise a brand new post-Brexit defence pact with the EU, with considerations rising that Mr Trump can also dilute help for Nato and focus US navy goals elsewhere.
In his first time period, Mr Trump made a degree of threatening to withdraw help from Nato except different member states started spending extra on defence. And in the course of the presidential marketing campaign he quipped in a single speech about welcoming a Russian invasion of 1 nation which didn’t contribute sufficient.
To add to the tensions hanging over the summit, host Viktor Orban – Hungary’s prime minister – is Mr Trump’s closest European ally and has been described as pro-Putin, pushing to finish the warfare by in search of compromise with Russia.
The EPC summit was the primary time worldwide leaders had gathered since Mr Trump’s exceptional victory, during which Republicans additionally seized management of the Senate.
Mr Zelensky tried to minimize considerations, praising Mr Trump’s “commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs”.
In his deal with to the summit, he mentioned: “The concept of ‘peace through strength’ has proven its realism and effectiveness more than once. Now, it is needed once more.”
Advocating concessions to Russia could be “unacceptable for Ukraine and suicidal for all Europe”, he added.
“Hugs with Putin won’t help,” the Ukrainian chief mentioned in an obvious reference to footage displaying India’s Narendra Modi embracing Mr Putin at a summit in Russia and United Nations chief Antonio Guterres shaking his hand.
Emmanuel Macron, who has lengthy pushed Europe to construct up cooperation on defence, mentioned Europe should not turn out to be a “herbivore” surrounded by “carnivores”.
“We need to be able to defend ourselves,” the French president mentioned. “We cannot delegate our security to the Americans forever.”
“Our role is not to comment on Trump’s election and say if it’s a good thing or not. The question is whether we are ready to stand up for the interests of Europeans.”
Mr Macron mentioned the continent faces a “decisive moment” and should form its personal future. “We have two blocs, the US on one hand and China on the other. First and foremost they will defend their own interests,” he mentioned,
His phrases have been echoed again in Britain, the place Sir Keir, who chaired one of many summit’s working teams on migration, was being warned by a former defence minister that he should press forward with making a safety pact with the EU as a matter of urgency.
Sir Nick Harvey, a former defence minister within the Tory/Lib Dem coalition and now chairman of the pro-EU European Movement, warned that pretend arguments over a so-called EU military shouldn’t be allowed to delay the transfer.
“Forming closer ties between the UK and the EU has never been more important,” he mentioned. “The days of outsourcing our defensive capabilities are over. Donald Trump’s election victory means there are likely to be questions in the near future over Nato, funding for Ukraine and overall defence spending in the UK and EU.
“We cannot be the 51st state of America – it makes no sense geographically, politically or industrially. If we attach ourselves pathetically to their coattails, instead of being a major player in Europe’s defence, we will pay a price for that folly.”
Sir Keir has made a safety pact one in all his high goals within the EU reset however at instances reduce a lonely determine in Budapest, the place it stays unclear how critically his EU counterparts are taking his negotiations.
But he can hope for some allies within the European parliament.
Sandro Gozi, chair of the delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly, advised The Independent: “We have a major issue that we had already before the new victory of Trump, which is even more compelling now, the issue of security and defence in our continent. It is clear that we have to build up more strategic autonomy. We have to do more as Europeans to ensure the security and stability of our continent.
“In the context of the will of Keir Starmer to reset the partnership of the EU-UK, we know that we have a clear common interest in working together more and better on our security. I hope that the election of Trump will boost the cooperation with the UK on the security and military dimension.”
Meanwhile, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen mentioned it was now as much as the EU to be united.
“It is in all our interests that the autocrats of this world get a very clear message that is not the right of might, that the rule of law is important,” she mentioned.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ukraine-trump-putin-starmer-epc-summit-budapest-b2643314.html