From Ukraine to EU-UK ties: Big summit of European leaders kicks off

European leaders gathered in Blenheim Palace, home of the Churchills as Dukes of Marlborough, on Thursday for a summit overshadowed by concerns about the US’ reliability as an ally if Donald Trump wins a second presidency.

Newly-elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed around 45 heads of government to discuss migration, energy security, and the threat from Russia, aiming to mend relations between the UK and its European Union neighbours four years after Brexit.

Starmer has said the summit “will fire the starting gun on this government’s new approach to Europe.”

As he addressed his guests, he emphasised the UK’s commitment to playing a more active role globally, particularly regarding Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion and battling human smuggling gangs.

He assured fellow leaders that under his leadership, the UK would be “a friend and a partner, ready to work with you — not part of the European Union, but very much part of Europe. Not focused on the differences between us, but on the values that we share.”

“Our primary task today is to confirm our unwavering support for Ukraine, to unite behind our shared values, and to confront aggression on this continent together,” he said, noting that the threat from Russia “extends across Europe.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a key guest at the meeting. He stressed the importance of the event for Ukraine, explaining the country was currently experiencing a “tough period,” adding “it is very important to maintain unity in Europe because always this unity leads to strong decisions.”

‘New chapter to open’ in UK-EU relations

When Britain agreed to host the one-day summit earlier this year, Conservative Rishi Sunak was prime minister. Following his defeat in the 4 July election, it was Starmer who welcomed leaders to the birthplace and residence of World War II PM Winston Churchill.

“It’s an incredibly useful occasion for Starmer, as it allows him to meet many European leaders,” said Jill Rutter, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Government think tank. “It’s like Rishi Sunak organised a dating party for him.”

Attendees included German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, her Polish counterpart Donald Tusk, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

This is the fourth meeting of the EPC, initiated by Macron in 2022 as a forum for countries inside and outside the 27-nation EU following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which disrupted Europe’s sense of security. Previous meetings were held in Prague, Chisinau and Granada.

The UK aims for this to be the most attended summit yet, though European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen is staying away as she fights to secure a second term as European Commission president from lawmakers in the European Parliament and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also did not attend.

Starmer’s centre-left government is working to rebuild ties with the EU strained by years of contentious Brexit negotiations. A key priority is a new UK-EU security pact that Starmer hopes to finalise soon.

“We are confident that a new chapter will be opened with the UK,” European Council President Charles Michel said upon arrival.

The UK plans to enhance cooperation with the European police agency Europol against human smuggling as part of measures to strengthen border security following Starmer’s decision to cancel the Conservatives’ controversial plan to send migrants arriving in the UK by boat to Rwanda.

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Orban: Trump win would be ‘best news for everybody’

Many will likely be thinking about the US, where a recent assassination attempt on Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, highlighted the intense and polarised political climate ahead of the 5 November election.

Trump’s scepticism about NATO has long unsettled US allies. His choice of Sen. JD Vance, an opponent of US military aid to Ukraine, as his vice-presidential running mate has heightened concerns.

“European countries must stand on their own legs more than ever,” said Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

Several other leaders echoed that sentiment, but not Hungary’s pro-Russian Premier Viktor Orbán, who said a solution to the conflict in Ukraine was “not on the battlefield” but at the negotiation table.

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“They believe that they can destroy militarily the Russians, which I don’t think so, because I think that there is no solution of this conflict on the battlefield,” Orbán told reporters.

Orbán has recently carried out a series of rogue meetings with foreign leaders about Ukraine, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

As he spoke of Trump, Orbán has said his victory would be “the best news for everybody, because he’s a man of the people.”