Under attack from U.S. President Donald Trump for not helping the war effort, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed that "the United Kingdom needs to be more closely aligned with the European Union (EU)."
On the 1st (local time), Starmer said at a news conference at the prime minister's office on Downing Street in London, "As the world takes a capricious path, it is becoming increasingly clear that our long-term national interest requires a closer working relationship with our European allies."
He said, "Brexit (the U.K.'s exit from the EU) has done deep damage to our economy," adding, "The opportunity to strengthen security and lower shop expense is too great to overlook." He then emphasized, "We want closer economic cooperation and tighter security cooperation."
Asked about Trump's criticism, he said, "There was considerable pressure to change my position on intervention, but I will not," adding, "As U.K. prime minister, I must act in our national interest."
Earlier, President Trump criticized North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) European allies for not getting involved in the Iran airstrikes and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also hinted at withdrawal, saying, "We will conduct a full review of NATO after the war."
Starmer then said Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will chair a meeting of foreign ministers this week to discuss plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting is scheduled for the 2nd, with 35 countries from Europe and the Gulf participating.
He explained, "After the meeting, we will convene military officials," adding, "We will look at how to pool capabilities and whether we can make the strait accessible after the fighting."
The Financial Times (FT) reported that, in this regard, France, the Netherlands and Gulf countries have held private discussions on the naval assets they could provide if an international coalition is formed.