Keir Starmer. Credit line: Stefan Rousseau, PA Images / Alamy / Profimedia
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday at the Munich Security Conference that NATO is a phenomenon in human history and urged European members of the alliance to work together to achieve “significant results” in the face of Russian aggression, CNN reports.
“We must move forward together to create a more European NATO. In my view, Europe is a sleeping giant,” Starmer said in his speech at the Munich Security Conference.
“Our economies are more than 10 times larger than Russia's. We have enormous defense capabilities, but too often they are less effective than the sum of their parts,” he said.
“Industrial planning and fragmented procurement have led to gaps in some areas and massive duplication in others,” the British prime minister said.
The British leader stressed that while the US remains an indispensable ally, the US national security strategy means that Europe must take primary responsibility for its own defence. “This is the new normal,” he said.
Starmer said Europe must be prepared to build “hard power” and be ready to fight if necessary.
“This is the currency of the age, we must be able to deter aggression and yes, if necessary, we must be prepared to fight, to do whatever it takes to protect our people, our values and our way of life,” Starmer said.
