LONDON (AP) 鈥 Keir Starmer travels to Brussels on Monday, becoming the first British prime minister to attend a European Union leaders鈥 meeting since the U.K. left the bloc five years ago.
Starmer will head to dinner with EU leaders at Brussels鈥檚 neoclassical Egmont Palace, walking a diplomatic and economic tightrope. He is seeking to rebuild ties with the EU while avoiding tariffs from protectionist U.S. President .
Trump has on the United States鈥 biggest trading partners 鈥 Canada, Mexico and China 鈥 and says he will also impose tariffs on goods from the 27-nation EU, with which the U.S. has a trade deficit. His attitude toward Britain is more ambiguous. Trump said early Monday that 鈥渢he U.K. is out of line but 鈥 I think that one can be worked out.鈥
Starmer has stressed his desire for a good relationship with Trump. His spokesman said Britain has a 鈥渇air and balanced trading relationship鈥 with the U.S.
At a Brussels meeting with chief Mark Rutte on Monday before the EU dinner, Starmer said the U.K. would not have to choose between Europe and the United States
鈥淏oth of these relationships are very important to us," Starmer told reporters. "If you look at our vital interests, it鈥檚 really important we work with both, that we don鈥檛 see it as an either-or."
On the issue of tariffs, Starmer said, "it鈥檚 early days, and I think what鈥檚 really important is open and strong trading relations. That鈥檚 been the basis of my discussions with President Trump and I know that intense US-EU discussions are planned.鈥
Trump鈥檚 trade battles complicate Starmer鈥檚 aim of after years of bitterness over Brexit. It鈥檚 already complicated enough by Britain鈥檚 domestic politics.
Starmer wants to remove some of the red tape and other barriers to trade with the bloc imposed by Brexit but has ruled out the two things that would make the most difference 鈥 rejoining the bloc鈥檚 customs union or single market.
He also has resisted EU pressure for a youth mobility deal that would let young people from Britain and the EU live and work in the other鈥檚 territory for a time.
Starmer鈥檚 center-left Labour Party government is wary of riling populist politicians like Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage, who is poised to pounce on any perceived 鈥渂etrayal鈥 of Brexit.
Starmer is aiming for relatively modest changes such as making it easier for artists to tour and for professionals to have their qualifications recognized, and seeking closer cooperation on law enforcement and security.
EU politicians have welcomed the change of tone from Starmer鈥檚 euroskeptic Conservative predecessors, but want concrete proposals, and inevitably compromises, from the U.K. Britain and the EU say they will hold a full leaders鈥 summit later this year.
Ahead of the meeting in Brussels, Starmer said he would stress the importance of 鈥渒eeping up the pressure鈥 with sanctions on Russia to squeeze its 鈥渨ar machine鈥 targeting Ukraine.
Trump鈥檚 return to office has raised questions over U.S. support for Kyiv 鈥 and for the trans-Atlantic military alliance itself. Trump has said that NATO countries should spend at least 5% of their GDPs on defense, up from the current 2% target. He also using to seize control of , an autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark.
Britain spends 2.3% of GDP on defense and says it will increase it to 2.5%.
