Keir Starmer: The leader Europe needs amid Trump’s chaos?

Donald Trump sent shockwaves through the West in recent weeks by unexpectedly allying with the foe, inadvertently creating an opportunity for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to reclaim leadership within NATO. Since leaving the European Union in 2016, relations between the former Conservative government and the bloc have been strained, mired in a state of mutual distrust. Last Sunday at Lancaster House, however, Starmer showed a long-absent confidence as he declared to all of Europe, “We are at a crossroads in history.” 

Faced with a US president who is unpredictable, capricious, and highly focused on American interest in Trump, Europe is coming to realise that it can rely only on itself to secure peace in the future. The days of having the US as a buffer are now well and truly over. However, the specifics of how much the US is willing to invest in NATO in the future, and whether it will station troops in Ukraine after a peace agreement with Russia and Ukraine, remain unclear and will require multiple negotiations. 

Europe is clearly not Trump’s priority, and the UK has long doubted whether it can maintain its special relationship with the US. This is partly because the European guest list for Trump’s inauguration in January consisted almost entirely of right-wing figures such as former UK prime ministers Boris Johnson and Elizabeth Truss, and the Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni. Starmer was excluded. 

In February, Trump began receiving foreign leaders at the White House, the first of whom was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, followed by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The UK government was left out in the cold. Not only was there no offer to communicate with Trump, the Labour government also faced joint attacks from right-wing factions in both the US and the UK, with Elon Musk openly taking the lead.

Under right-wing pressure, support for the far-right Reform UK — which is supported by Trump — showed signs of catching up with the Labour government in public opinion polls. The Labour Party was thought to be finished, and Reform UK was expected to come to power at the next general election in four years, at which point the special US-UK relationship could be resumed. 

But a fortnight ago, Trump shifted his attention to Europe, meeting with three heads of state in quick succession: French President Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The UK’s opportunity had finally emerged.

Starmer’s trip was widely assessed to be risky, as Trump’s language and thinking were unfamiliar to the British. The special relationship between the two countries is crucial for the UK’s survival, so the relationship had to be preserved no matter what. The stakes were high, and the odds were not in the PM’s favour. Starmer is also widely regarded by the British public as lacking charisma, with opinions suggesting that he would not be able to connect with Trump as Boris Johnson did. Furthermore, the British public was disappointed and shocked when Trump called Zelenskyy — regarded as a hero by the British public — a “dictator”, further diminishing their regard for Trump.

Unexpectedly, the meeting between Starmer and Trump went well, with the two establishing a warm rapport. The British public was surprised to see from the live broadcast that their prim and proper Prime Minister had managed to charm the President. They were also amazed to discover that the special allure the British Royal Family was rumoured to hold for Trump was real — at the start of the dialogue between the two heads of state, Starmer presented Trump with a state visit invitation that had been personally signed by King Charles. The gesture had a significant impact on the US President, who was in high spirits the whole evening and appeared at ease and comfortable while surrounded by the British accents of the government delegation and media.

At the joint press conference, after Starmer made his remarks, Trump said, “What a beautiful accent, I’d have been president 20 years ago if I had that accent.”

The next day, Zelenskyy found himself in the same hot seat after Starmer had left Washington. However, the atmosphere at Zelenskyy’s visit was decidedly different, and the meeting ended on a shockingly bad note.

In the past, the leader of the US served as the standard-bearer for the West in morals, ethics, humanitarian spirit and liberal ideology. However, Trump’s public conduct is unhindered by any such expectations. Instead, he has chosen the populist route and aligned himself with ordinary people, speaking his mind without restraint or concern. The image of a shining beacon carefully cultivated by the United States over the past 70 years may very well be sabotaged under Trump’s leadership. 

For Starmer, however, this crisis offers more of an opportunity than a risk. His cordial meeting with Trump has afforded him the privilege of being able to talk to Trump over the phone at any time. Starmer started making intense diplomatic overtures that very evening, speaking with both Trump and Zelenskyy over the phone. He met with Zelenskyy at Downing Street the following day, proclaiming “unwavering support for Ukraine”, before speaking with Macron and Trump about the progress made. 

The next day, Starmer exuded the confidence of a man in control when he welcomed the leaders of France, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania, the Turkish foreign minister, NATO secretary general and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council to Lancaster House. The expressions on the politicians’ faces also appeared to be animated, as if they were old friends reuniting — a scene that stood in contrast to the decade-old depiction of the UK as a rebel isolated from the rest of Europe.

However, Trump’s return to the White House and his radical statements, including threats to impose a 25% tariff on the EU in retaliation for its heavy penalties on American companies, have made it imperative for Europe to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the UK. Without the US at NATO’s helm, European security is at risk. To ensure the US remains in NATO (regardless of the manner and extent), the UK — aside from France — serves as Europe’s best communication bridge with the US.

After the meeting, Starmer announced the establishment of a “coalition of the willing” led by the UK and France, to secure peace in Ukraine and to continue to seek US support for NATO. Zelensky responded by saying that Kyiv felt “strong support” from the European leaders, and described European unity as being “at an exceptionally high level, which has not been seen for a long time.” However, the conference did not reach a consensus on the additional military cost each country would shoulder — a longstanding grievance for Trump.

After the showdown with Trump at the White House, Zelenskyy requested a last-minute meeting with King Charles III. With the approval of the UK government, the King received Zelenskyy at Sandringham after the summit. The two men had tea and chatted in what was seen as an official state visit. While the royal visit will be considered pared down compared to the royal treatment Trump will undoubtedly receive, a royal audience is no doubt a show of support for Zelenskyy – after all, King Charles seems to be the only person in the world Trump admires. 

To sum up, Starmer now has many things going for him. He has a warm personal relationship with Trump, firm support from King Charles, a beautiful British accent, a strong mandate backed by the dominant Labour Party with 404 seats (out of 650) in the House of Commons, and the image of a world leader of a country that has supported Ukraine over the past three years. The diplomatic and political savvy Starmer displayed when navigating between Trump and Zelenskyy is something the rest of Europe can only aspire towards. 

This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as “英国迎来成为北约领导国历史契机”.

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