Keir Starmer has said it is in the US’s best interests to remain in NATO and that Europe should do more to support the alliance in light of the war in Iran.
The British Prime Minister pushed back against Donald Trump’s threats to leave the defense alliance, speaking at the end of a multi-stop trip around the Gulf to discuss options for a temporary ceasefire and the full reopening of the commercially vital Strait of Hormuz.
The US president has repeatedly criticized NATO’s European members, who largely disagreed with the attacks on Iran, for not fully participating in the attacks. They also included threats to pull Washington out of the alliance entirely.
Starmer, speaking in Qatar at the end of a trip during which he also met the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, agreed with Trump’s call for NATO’s European members to spend more on defense, while stressing that it is in America’s interest to remain in the alliance.
“We are very strong supporters of NATO and I have been arguing for a long time that we need to do more,” he said. “This is the most effective military alliance the world has ever known.
“Do we Europeans need to do more? Yes. I have been making that argument to our European partners for the last two years as much as anyone else. We will continue to make that case and we will make that case.”
He said: “It’s in America’s interest; it’s in European interest. NATO is a defensive alliance, which for decades has kept us much safer than otherwise.”
“Do I think it would be a strong European element to NATO? Yes, and I think we should step up in that area. We are already doing that, which is why we are coordinating strategically with our allies in NATO.”
Starmer and Trump spoke on Thursday night. Speaking to broadcasters in Doha, Starmer said most of the call was spent discussing how to ensure ships pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route for oil and gas as well as other goods that was blocked by Iran following US and Israeli attacks.
As well as ensuring that the sea route is safe, Starmer stressed the need to avoid the possible scenario of Iran imposing a levy on passing ships. Earlier this week Trump floated the idea of a “joint venture” between the US and Iran to determine the toll.
Starmer began his talks with various Gulf leaders by saying they share the view and are concerned about the ceasefire, which is under threat from continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Iran and warning that it could retaliate.
“Clearly, the discussions moved very quickly toward a ceasefire, a feeling that it is fragile, that more work is needed, that the Strait of Hormuz has to be part of the solution, a very strong feeling that there cannot be tolling or restrictions on that navigation,” he said.
Trump appears volatile and irritable as the Iran war has failed to bring about regime change in Tehran or achieve any other concrete US goal. He has expressed this in insults to other world leaders, including Starmer, and threats to Iran, including threatening before a ceasefire that the country’s “whole civilization (will) die” if the country did not meet US demands.
British Defense Secretary John Healey said on Friday that instead of paying attention to Trump’s social media posts, those in the US should examine Britain’s actions in the Gulf, saying they “speak for themselves”.
While Britain declined to participate in attacks on Iran, it contributed significantly to efforts to defend the Gulf countries from Iranian attacks, with UK aircraft and ground gunners shooting down a number of Iranian drones and missiles. UK bases were also available to US aircraft, if only for missions seen as defensive.
“Even in this current conflict, the base permissions we have agreed with the US in the UK are invaluable to their military operations,” Healey said.
