UK and Germany to Pledge to Defend Each Other in Reset of Ties
Starmer and Merz's predecessor, Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, laid the groundwork for the pact at a meeting last August in Berlin, when the British premier called it 'part of a wider reset grounded in a new spirit of cooperation.'
Conservative leader Merz has made clear his regret over the UK quitting the European Union and has vowed to join forces with Starmer to confront challenges like Donald Trump's trade onslaught and the war on Ukraine. His trip to London comes a week after French President Emmanuel Macron made the first state visit by a European leader to the UK since Brexit, helping to reinforce warmer Anglo-French relations.
Here's what to look out for from Thursday's meeting, when Starmer and Merz are due to sign the new treaty during a ceremony at London's Victoria and Albert Museum:
The mutual defense pledge is a reaction both to an increasingly aggressive Russia and growing concern among European allies about US commitment to NATO under President Trump, according to a senior German official.
At the same time, it's not meant to be a substitute for the principle of collective defense at the heart of NATO's founding treaty, known as Article 5, added the official, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential deliberations.
For Germany, the defense element is particularly significant because the UK is, together with France, one of Europe's two nuclear powers. Germany doesn't possess its own nuclear warheads, but benefits from the protective 'umbrella' the US has spread over the continent.
Atomic weapons are not explicitly mentioned in the new treaty, according to the German official.
Starmer and Merz will also make a commitment to deliver a new long-range missile system — the Deep Precision Strike capability — in the next decade, according to a statement from Starmer's office.
It will have a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) and help boost the UK and European defense sectors via 'significant industrial investment.'
The treaty also contains measures relating to trade, transport and irregular migration, part of an effort to minimize the negative effects of Brexit. Alongside the pact, Germany is expected to commit to making it illegal to facilitate irregular migration to the UK, with the law change to be adopted by the end of the year, Starmer's office said.
Following the recent deal between Britain and the US, Merz and Starmer will also discuss the ongoing trade talks between Brussels and Washington, according to the German official. Merz has called for a swift EU-US trade accord and cited Trump's deal with Starmer as a potential model.
Thursday's events will be a welcome distraction from domestic difficulties for both leaders. Starmer, for his part, has been forced into a spate of policy U-turns in recent weeks that have compromised his government's hard-earned reputation for fiscal discipline.
'The international stage is clearly where he is happiest at the moment,' said Gemma Loomes, a lecturer in comparative politics at Keele University. 'The treaty symbolizes his commitment to rebuilding European relations post-Brexit but also allows him to temporarily put his domestic troubles to one side.'
Merz, meanwhile, is dealing with an increasingly fractious ruling coalition, with his conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democrats at odds over issues ranging from welfare reforms to judicial appointments and already drawing comparisons with the infighting that dogged Scholz's administration.
Beyond the treaty, the UK and Germany will also unveil commercial investments worth more than £200 million ($268 million) that will create around 600 new jobs, according to Starmer's office. These include:
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