Britain and the European Union on Monday struck a landmark deal to remove some post-Brexit trade barriers and to bolster cooperation on security and defense as they reduce their reliance on an unpredictable United States.
But the final details of several important policies were not in place, and Britain had to make some concessions that could prove politically costly for Mr. Starmer.
The agreement is designed to help the two sides work more closely together after the Trump administration signaled it was reducing its commitment to European defense and imposed global tariffs.
It also underscores the Labour government’s ambition for a “reset” of ties with the 27-nation European Union, almost nine years after Britons voted by a narrow margin to leave the bloc — a decision that has dented Britain’s economic growth.
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On Monday, Britain and the European Union reached a historic agreement to strengthen security and defense cooperation and lift some post-Brexit trade barriers as they lessen their dependency on the unpredictable United States.
Unveiled in London’s opulent Lancaster House by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the agreement marks a major turning point for the two allies.
However, the final details of a number of crucial policies were still pending, and Britain was forced to make some compromises that might have cost Mr. Starmer politically.
With the Trump administration signaling it was cutting its commitment to European defense and imposing global tariffs, the agreement is intended to help the two sides collaborate more closely.
Nearly nine years after Britons narrowly voted to leave the bloc, a decision that has hampered Britain’s economic growth, it also highlights the Labour government’s desire for a “reset” of relations with the 27-nation European Union.
“It’s time to look forward,” Mr. Dot Starmer stated, “to put aside the stale old arguments and political battles and concentrate on providing sensible, workable solutions that benefit the British people the most.”. “”.
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