Ukraine ‘absolute focus' for UK and northern European allies
The Prime Minister met counterparts at a Joint Expeditionary Forces (JEF) leaders' gathering in Oslo on Friday, during which Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke virtually.
Following the summit, Sir Keir said the UK-led group's utmost priority was defending the values 'hard-won' during the Second World War and continuing to stand behind Kyiv.
Speaking to broadcasters, the Prime Minister was asked what his message would be to Russia and Beijing as Chinese President Xi Jinping attended events in Moscow marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Sir Keir said: 'The message of leaders here is very, very clear, and that is that we're focused on Ukraine.
'(President) Zelensky came in virtually to part of that meeting.
'And so that's where our absolute focus is – with Ukraine, defending the values that yesterday at VE Day we were remembering and commemorating, that were hard-won in the Second World War.'
The JEF is a military coalition of mostly northern and eastern European nations including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, the Baltic states and the Netherlands which has been operational since 2018.
The summit came as the UK announced a fresh wave of sanctions targeting President Vladimir Putin's shadow fleet of vessels carrying cargo in defiance of existing restrictions on oil and gas exports.
Officials have said the Government will take action against up to 100 oil tankers that have been transporting more than 24 billion US dollars (£18 billion) worth of cargo since last year.
Ukrainian President Mr Zelensky dialled in virtually to the meeting in Oslo City Hall on Friday to announce he would be hosting leaders of the British and French-led 'coalition of the willing' on Saturday.
Number 10 would not confirm whether Sir Keir planned to attend the meeting.
Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans to enforce a potential peace in Kyiv, but prospects for a truce remain distant as Moscow continues to resist calls for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire backed by the US.
The Russian president declared a 72-hour pause in fighting on Thursday to coincide with Victory Day, but officials in Kyiv said his forces have continued offensive operations while the Kremlin has accused Ukraine of breaching the unilateral ceasefire.
Following Friday's summit, the Prime Minister met crew on board a Royal Navy frigate moored in Oslo's port before exchanging warm words with Norway's premier Jonas Gahr Store as he was welcomed onto a Norwegian coastguard vessel.
In a strong show of support before holding bilateral talks, the Norwegian prime minister suggested the UK was 'perhaps our best friend' while Sir Keir said relations between the two countries were stronger than 'possibly ever'.
Sir Keir said: 'We are leaders that think alike, that are politically aligned and work well together. We are colleagues and we are friends.'
In a readout of the meeting between the two leaders later issued by Number 10, a spokesperson said they 'discussed joint efforts between the UK and Norway to protect critical subsea infrastructure to safeguard economic security and working people at home'.
They also spoke about ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.
It comes as critics argue the Labour Government will need to decide between siding with Europe or the US following the agreement of a trade deal with the White House on Thursday while Britain continues to seek to strengthen economic ties with Brussels.
Asked whether forgoing deeper ties with the bloc would be the price the UK pays for its pact with America, Sir Keir insisted his administration would be 'resetting that relationship' as well.
'That's because we will be relentless in wealth creation, driving our economy forward and making sure that working people across the country feel better-off,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
UK could face up to £30bn of tax rises to fund defence spending boost, economist says
Rachel Reeves could be forced to raise up to £30bn through tax rises or funding cuts as the chancellor seeks to meet Labour's pledge to boost defence spending, an economist has claimed. The government has promised to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027, and has an 'ambition' – but no firm commitment – to raise it to 3 per cent in the next parliament, after 2029. But the UK's Nato allies are expected also to push for a fresh target of 3.5 per cent, with the alliance's chief Mark Rutte pushing for a 'dramatic increase', with discussions over a possible 5 per cent target – as called for by Donald Trump – also taking place. And Sir Keir Starmer this week vowed to make Britain 'a battle-ready, armour-clad nation' as a long-awaited defence review called for major upgrades to the UK's military. While the major proposals were based around Labour's current spending pledges for 2027 and the next parliament, the report warned that 'as we live in such turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster' on increasing the UK's defence capabilities. Michael Saunders, a senior economic adviser at the Oxford Economics consultancy, suggested that the government could take steps towards this in the chancellor's next Budget. 'To establish a more credible path to defence spending 'considerably north of 3 per cent' next decade, the government may decide in the autumn Budget that it needs to add some extra spending within the five-year OBR forecast horizon,' said Mr Saunders. 'It's not hard to see pressures for extra fiscal tightening of £15bn to £30bn,' he told The Telegraph. Fiscal tightening involves either raising taxes or cutting government spending. Earlier this week, Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), also warned the only way to pay for the increased defence budget would be through 'chunky tax rises' as the government grapples with other key areas of public spending. He told Times Radio: 'You really do have to ask that question, what are the choices that you're going to make? Bluntly, it really does seem to me that the only choice that is available, is some really quite chunky tax increases to pay for it.' According to the IFS, hitting the 3 per target by 2030 would require an extra £17bn pounds between now and then which is yet to be accounted for. Sir Keir has previously said that increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent would mean 'spending £13.4bn more on defence every year from 2027'. The Office for Budget Responsibility has also estimated that reaching 3 per cent by the next parliament would cost an additional £17.3bn in 2029/30. Speaking in parliament as the defence review was unveiled this week, Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire said: 'It is staggering that we still don't have an answer to the vital question: 'Where is the money coming from?' The government has flip-flopped a number of times on 3 per cent.' On Tuesday, defence secretary John Healey failed to rule out tax rises to make Britain 'war ready' and insisted he was '100 per cent confident' the 3 per cent target would be met — but struggled to say how it would be paid for. It came as defence sources were reported to expect that Britain will be forced to sign up to a target to hike defence spending to 3.5 per cent by 2035 at a Nato summit later this month in a bid to appease the US president.
Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Unite union had ‘pervasive fraud environment', leaked report says
One of Britain's biggest trade unions had a 'pervasive fraud environment', a leaked auditors' report has concluded. Global tax advisory firm BDO found there had been a culture at Unite that 'did not challenge the appropriateness of transactions' and failed to ensure appropriate financial reporting. The review, which took four years, concluded that 'dominant personalities and a weak control environment facilitated opportunities to commit fraud' at the union. The audit was ordered by general secretary Sharon Graham shortly after she entered her role in 2021 amid questions about accounting and spending on building a hotel and conference centre in Birmingham. Its findings were presented to the union's executive council on Friday. Unite said the probe uncovered a £53.8 million 'impairment' related to the difference between the original valuation of the Birmingham project used to calculate the 'book value' by the auditors at the time, and the real value. 'This process has quite frankly been an ugly one' The BDO report also said there had been 'unusual relationships' between former senior staff and Unite's customers and suppliers, according to the BBC which obtained a copy of the 35-page document ahead of its publication. In response, Ms Graham, who has pledged to strengthen internal governance practices, said: 'On behalf of Unite's 1.2 million-plus members, I promised on my election that I would uncover the truth about historic alleged corruption related to the Birmingham hotel project. 'This process has quite frankly been an ugly one, where I have endured attacks and smears from those with much to lose, but they have not deterred me. 'The re-audit is in its final stages and as we move to completion, I will ensure steps are taken so that this can never happen again and we have already started the process of getting our money back. 'Over the last three years of my leadership, I have refocused our union on to the jobs, pay and conditions of our members and we have secured a union that is financially strong and able to fight for workers.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Labour missing housebuilding target by 170,000 homes a year, report finds
Labour is on track to miss its housebuilding target after planning permission for new homes tumbled to a record low. A bleak report by the Home Builders Federation yesterday dealt a blow to the Government's vow to build 1.5million properties by 2029. Stark figures show Labour is falling short of its target by 170,000 homes a year. Industry leaders said the data was 'disastrous' and without urgent support from ministers there is 'little chance' of reaching the goal. Just 39,170 homes were given planning permission in England in the first three months of the year – the lowest quarterly figure since records began. That was a 55 per cent drop on the previous quarter and almost 32 per cent lower than a year earlier. The 225,067 units given approval in the 12 months to the end of March was the worst performance in 12 years. The federation said its data 'starkly illustrates the urgent need for Government to address the barriers to housing supply' if they are to get 'anywhere near the much-vaunted' target. A lack of support for first-time buyers, overstretched planning departments and high taxation has squeezed housing development, the trade association said. It also cited a problem with housing associations failing to buy tens of thousands of new homes designated for social and affordable rents. Chief executive Neil Jefferson said: 'The latest planning figures are disastrous for an industry and a government looking to increase housing supply over the coming years. 'Unless urgent interventions are made, there seems little chance of us building the homes we know are desperately needed.' Around 200,000 homes are being built each year, below the 370,000 target, the figures show. The number of new developments approved in the first quarter of 2025 was 2,018 – the worst quarterly figure in 20 years. The HBF called on ministers to introduce support for first-time buyers which could lead to the construction of an extra 100,000 homes. Investment in high-rise blocks has 'collapsed' due to delays at the Building Safety Regulator which 'has been unable to deal with its workload', the group said. There is also a shortfall of 2,000 local council planning officers, and new taxes have 'ballooned' since 2020, putting pressure on builders. A housing department spokesman said it is 'taking decisive action' to speed up the planning process and that its 'seismic reforms will help drive UK housebuilding to its highest level in over 40 years'. Meanwhile, builders could be required to install solar panels on the 'vast majority' of new homes in England, according to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. It comes a month after No10 confirmed the panels should be installed on as many new properties as possible amid speculation that ministers will make them a mandatory requirement on new builds by 2027.
