Media in PennsylvaniaSir Keir Starmer hosted an EU decision to increase defense spending that was decided at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday.
The package includes loans and weakened deficit rules in order to strengthen the military forces of the continent.
Speaking after an appeal with the leaders of the EU earlier, the Prime Minister said that the “historic” decision was “another sign from Europe that intensifies”.
This comes when Sir Keir tries to persuade European countries to join a “coalition of willingly” to dissuade Russia in the event of a peace contract in Ukraine.
According to British officials, around twenty countries wish to join the coalition, but would not necessarily propose to send troops, but rather provide another support.
In recent weeks, EU leaders have repeated long -standing promises to strengthen Europe’s military capacities, after the concerns expressed, the continent cannot count on the support of American security under President Trump.
At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, they supported the plans to jointly borrow 150 billion euros to lend EU governments for military spending.
The European Commission also proposed to divert regional development funds to the defense, in addition to an emergency suspension of the rules of the public debt and the levels of deficit.
Starmer was informed of the plans during an appeal earlier with the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the European Council Antonio Costa, alongside the leaders of Canada, Turkey, Norway and Iceland.
Then Downing Street said the Prime Minister “applauded progress” made at the Brussels meeting.
He also discussed the plans of the “coalition of willingly” and noted that a meeting in Paris next week would be an “important moment to advance planning”, added a spokesperson n ° 10.
The United Kingdom and France said they were ready to provide peacekeeping troops to Ukraine and urged other European countries to make the same commitment.
But Sir Keir said that to be effective, their presence in Ukraine must be supported by security guarantees in the United States.
US President Donald Trump has so far avoided engaging in such support, rather arguing that the presence of American workers in Ukraine As part of a potential mineral agreementwould be sufficient to dissuade Russia from Invaser Ukraine.
Russia has categorically rejected such a decision claiming that this would be equivalent to “directly, official and revealed an involvement of NATO members in the war against Russia”.
Translections between the United States and Ukraine aimed at reaching an agreement will take place next week in Saudi Arabia.
Before the talks, Trump said on Friday that he was “strongly” planned “new sanctions and prices on Russia, following a wave of night strikes on Ukraine.
Writing on social networks, he added: “In Russia and Ukraine, arrive at the table at the moment, before it is too late. Thank you !!!”
British defense secretary John Healey came back from Washington DC, where he met his American counterpart Pete Hegseth to discuss the end of the Russian war against Ukraine.
Speaking in Washington, Healey said: “It is a lasting and secure peace that we all want to see. We have a big role to play in Europe and we are determined to do so.”
Hegseth rejected as “garbage” suggestions that under the direction of Trump, the United States became “Pro-Russia”.
He said that the president “worked with both parties in a way that only President Trump can”.
Progress towards an agreement seemed to take a step back after Trump and Zelensky had a dramatic row in front of the cameras in the oval office.
However, Hegseth said the American president was “very encouraged by the signs we see” from Ukraine.
On Thursday, the British Defense Ministry signed an agreement of 30 million pounds sterling with an Anglo-American company to provide Ukraine with Altius 600m and Altius 700m systems, designed to monitor an area before hitting incoming targets.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves also announced a loan of 2.26 billion pounds sterling in Ukraine, funded by the profits generated by frozen Russian assets.
On Friday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that they had received the first branch of the loan, amounting to 752 million pounds sterling.
In an article on social networks, he said: “I am grateful to Keir Starmer, the British government and our G7 partners for the mechanism for Russian money to work for Ukraine.
“We expect all the sovereign assets of the Russian Federation to be confiscated and transferred for the benefit of our country in the future.”
Earlier this week, the liberal democratic chief Sir Ed Davey urged the Prime Minister to grasp the frozen Russian assets held in the United Kingdom.
Sir Keir replied that there were “discussions in progress” but that the situation was “complicated”.
The Liberals Democrats now call on the Attorney General to publish the legal advice on taking assets.
The Party Shadow Shadow Prosecutor, Ben Maguire, said: “We need the possibility of correctly examining decision-making on this crucial issue, so that the United Kingdom can then make the right choice for Ukraine.”
