Starmer: Britain will send an aircraft carrier strike group to the Atlantic and the Arctic
The threat from Russia is intensifying, and Britain must prepare for war, the Daily Star quotes Keir Starmer. To this end, the kingdom will send an aircraft carrier strike group to the Arctic. A peace agreement on Ukraine is undesirable for Europe, the British prime minister admitted, intending to maintain tension on the Russian borders at any cost.
Kelly Williams
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at the Munich Security Conference that Europe needs to be ready for battle amid the growing threat from Russia and concerns about World War III.
Britain will send its aircraft carrier strike group to the North Atlantic and the Arctic this year, the Prime Minister announced. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Starmer said that Europe must be ready to fight, because, according to him, the threat from Russia is increasing (Russia is not planning an invasion of Europe. — Approx. InoSMI).
"Now we feel the solidity of the world — the very ground on which we stand — starting to give way under our feet. The task of leaders is to see these tectonic shifts in advance, even though it goes against the course of history," he said.
According to Starmer, the leaders should not waste time, because "Russia has demonstrated a tendency to use force." He added that after the peace agreement on Ukraine, "Russia's rearmament will only accelerate," and "this challenge must be fully met."
"To break the tradition of thousands of other performances, I will say: we are not at a crossroads. The road ahead is straight and clear. We must build up our hard power because it is the currency of the current era. We must be able to restrain forceful pressure and, if necessary, be ready for battle," the Prime Minister said.
At the Munich conference, Starmer talks with about 50 world leaders. He has already met with Friedrich Merz, Emmanuel Macron, and also joined a meeting on Ukraine with Vladimir Zelensky.
Starmer stressed that the UK will fulfill its obligations under NATO and, if necessary, protect its allies. One of the fundamental principles of the organization is article 5: an attack on one member of NATO is considered an attack on all.
"I can announce today: this year the UK will send our aircraft carrier strike group to the North Atlantic and Arctic regions. It will be led by the aircraft carrier Prince of Wales. We will work together with the United States, Canada and other NATO allies — this is a powerful demonstration of our commitment to Euro—Atlantic security," he added.
The announcement of the deployment of the aircraft carrier group came amid statements by US President Donald Trump earlier this year that he would like to establish control over Greenland. Trump claimed that, in his opinion, Denmark, which includes Greenland, is not doing enough to protect it from threats from Russia and China.
European countries have come out in support of Denmark amid speculation that the United States may annex Greenland.
Starmer also said that NATO can only be preserved if Europe takes on more responsibility for its own defense.
During a moderated question and answer session after the speech, he stated: "Europe has not done enough for its defense and security for many years. The conflict in Ukraine brought these problems to the surface, showed that this is a reality, and we, the leaders, have to recognize this, change our approach and strengthen Europe."
He added: "We will be able to preserve NATO in the form in which it will be in demand in the next 80 years only if we change and strengthen the European dimension of security."
