London: Britain and the European Union confirmed Saturday their commitment to continue working on strengthening joint defenses to address the increasing threats to collective European security. This came during a meeting between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen following their participation in the Munich Security Conference.

According to Qatar News Agency, a statement by the UK Prime Minister's Office clarified that the pair agreed that Europe needs to step up and work towards becoming a more European NATO, while maintaining strong transatlantic relations. Starmer said he aims to strengthen the future partnership between London and Brussels by expanding cooperation in the economy, defense, and technology, stressing that the goal is to enhance security, support economic growth, and improve the living standards of British citizens.

Starmer emphasized the need to build British hard power, calling for greater European defense integration to reduce overreliance on the United States within NATO. He also highlighted the importance of deepening economic integration with the EU single market, noting that Europe must take primary responsibility for its defense while maintaining a strong alliance with Washington.

Starmer announced the deployment of the UK carrier strike group to the Arctic and High North this year, in cooperation with the United States, Canada, and other NATO allies, to bolster deterrence and protect European Atlantic security. These statements come amid tensions within NATO over perceived US efforts related to Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, and growing pressure from Washington on its European allies to increase defense spending and military readiness within the alliance.