It is not uncommon for international leaders to be invited to meet with the EU head of state or government at Council of Europe meetings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is regularly invited to become the leader of the EU. And while Donald Trump was never invited during his first term as president of the United States, his successor, Joe Biden.
However, Keir Starmer’s February 3rd visit was important. This is the first time since Brexit that the British Prime Minister has been invited to join EU leaders for a traditional post-Sammit dinner.
Even before the UK officially left the EU, both parties were negotiating terms for Brexit, but the British Prime Minister was ruled out. Not only were they excluded from formal meetings where 27 other leaders discussed Brexit, they were also excluded from post-local dinners. This has led to complaints about Downing Street and the UK being on the sidelines.
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There were rumours that Boris Johnson would be invited to the Council of Europe meeting in 2022, but these remained rumors. And even if UK-EU relations improve under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, until the Labour government gradually changes signaling the need for a “reset” for Brexit, which has been extended dinner invitations. It wasn’t.
Symbodily, it was important. After a rather loud year, the UK and EU had dinner again. And with the background and changing geopolitical landscape of the war in Ukraine, the parties recognized the need for close cooperation on security and defense.
Starmer wants an ambitious security partnership with the EU. Council of Europe President Antonio Costa recognized that there is much to be done together by addressing and addressing global challenges for the EU and the UK.
Security Partner
The idea of security partnerships is nothing new. Already declared in the 2019 political declaration in conjunction with the withdrawal agreement, the UK and the EU have agreed to negotiations for such a partnership, including cooperation on foreign, security and defense policies.
However, Boris Johnson decided not to advance to this truck as he was in a hurry to “finish Brexit.” As a result, trade and cooperation agreements that govern EU-UK relations primarily omit security cooperation.
Even without formal security and defence structures in place, the EU and the UK have been working together in supporting Ukraine. However, the Labour Government has repeatedly emphasized the need for a more formal cooperation arrangement as part of its “reset.” To this end, Foreign Secretary David Lamy calls for an ambitious and broad-based UK EU security agreement.
For the UK it is a relatively easy way to improve relations and rebuild trust with the EU. The EU and the UK face similar geopolitical challenges and are largely in line with values and concerns regarding security and defense issues. A more coordinated EU-UK response will have a greater impact, whether it is support for Ukraine, addressing cross-border crime, or increasing energy security.
It is also a region where the UK can develop closer links with the EU without crossing the red line for people’s free movement or membership in the Customs Union or Single Market. And the UK is the EU’s attractive security partner as the only major European military force outside of France.
EU leaders see possibilities with such initiatives. The EU has already emphasized that in its “strategic compass”, the “strategic compass” for 2022, the EU remains open to close cooperation with the UK.
This is even more urgent in light of the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s future involvement with NATO and European security. If Trump successfully puts his threat to reduce the role of American security in Europe, the EU will need to strengthen its own defense, and it cannot do so effectively without the UK.
However, the EU wants to see specific suggestions on what security agreements will look like. It questioned its true commitment to a “reset” after the UK rejected the EU’s proposal on time limits and visa-based youth mobility schemes. This is a move that disappoints the EU, where the issue is the number one priority. The British government rejected the proposal, worried that it could be misunderstood as a return to people’s free movement.
The leader left dinner without any specific suggestions, but they agreed to talk more. There will be an in-house EU-UK summit in the UK in May, where the two parties will discuss what shape deeper security and defence cooperation will take.
Council of Europe Chairman Costa recognized the new positive energy in EU-UK relations. It remains to be seen whether this energy and signaling about the UK’s commitment to the reset will eventually translate into an actual EU-UK settlement. Reconstruction takes time. A dinner invitation should be viewed as a positive in itself.
