Keir Starmer says US shift "not an aberration of the Trump presidency" and backs Europe‑UK plan

Former UK prime minister Keir Starmer, in his first major address since stepping down, told a British Irish Chamber of Commerce dinner at Dublin City Hall on Friday that Europe needs a shared security framework with Britain centrally involved. He said the continent had been unprepared for two developments: Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which exposed defense weaknesses, and Donald Trump's position that Washington would stop financing European security. Starmer characterized the U.S. shift as enduring rather than a temporary feature of Trump's time in office, while saying transatlantic military, intelligence and security ties remain important. He argued that higher defense spending alone would not be enough and called for broader cooperation across the continent, warning that the EU cannot meet the challenge by itself. He was awarded honorary life membership by the chamber.