Starmer to maintain Trump ties as NATO defence spending demands loom
Outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to keep in contact with Donald Trump, a signal of continuity as European capitals face heavy US pressure to ramp up defence spending to 5% of GDP and navigate persistent trade war threats.
Sir Keir Starmer has said he will remain in contact with US President Donald Trump after stepping down as prime minister. The outgoing leader, speaking at a Nato summit in Ankara, confirmed that Trump had wished him well. "Yes he did, and we're going to stay in touch," Starmer said.
For European economies, the departing premier's final diplomatic outings underscore the immense fiscal burden heading for the continent. At the Ankara summit, Trump again pressured Nato members to increase defence funding, noting they were "answering the call" to meet a target of spending 5% of gross domestic product on defence and security by 2035.
That spending commitment, agreed by alliance members last year, will require massive budgetary restructuring across European public finances. Trump has previously threatened to remove US troops from Europe if allies fall short, a risk that makes transatlantic diplomatic continuity a baseline requirement for European security planning and defence markets.
Starmer's relationship with the US president experienced significant economic friction during his tenure. In January, Starmer warned a trade war was in "no-one's interest" after Trump threatened a 10% tax on imports from the UK and other nations opposing his plans for Greenland.
The two leaders also clashed over the proposed deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing back a key military base. Despite previous endorsements from senior US officials, Trump labelled the deal an "act of great stupidity".
The most severe diplomatic rupture came in March over the Iran conflict. Starmer angered Trump by refusing permission for the US to use UK bases for initial offensive strikes, allowing them only for defensive action. Trump mocked Starmer as being "no Winston Churchill" and complained at this week's summit that allies "weren't there for us" in the Middle East.
Despite these tensions, Starmer framed the Ankara gathering as a success. "Is Nato stronger and more united coming out of this summit? Then the answer is yes to that," he said, quoting Trump's own remarks welcoming the "unity of the meeting".
Starmer announced his resignation as Labour leader last month. Andy Burnham is currently the only candidate to replace him and could become prime minister on 20 July, taking over the complex task of managing both the 5% defence spending target and an unpredictable US trade policy.
At the summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave Starmer a personalised revolver loaded with live ammunition, a standard gift for all attending Nato leaders. The weapon has been left with British officials in Turkey to be decommissioned.
