Von der Leyen, Starmer reaffirm support for Ukraine’s sovereignty

This is according to a joint statement, which the parties adopted after they met in Brussels. The full text of the document is published on the European Commission website.

"The President of the European Commission and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom met today and agreed to strengthen the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. They agreed on the shared challenges facing the European Union and the United Kingdom including the altered strategic context for the wider continent notably resulting from Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. They reiterated their unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty," the report reads. 

The two leaders also expressed their intention to continue working closely together to address broader global challenges, including economic headwinds, geopolitical competition, irregular migration, climate change and energy prices. All these challenges are common to the EU and to the UK, and to the values ​​on which they are built.

The parties also discussed the developments in the Middle East, and condemned Iran’s massive attack on Israel. They recognized Israel's right to self-defense, called on all parties to de-escalate tensions and to find a diplomatic solution.

Ursula von der Leyen and Keir Starmer emphasized the importance of holding regular summits between the EU and UK to oversee the dynamics of bilateral relations, and agreed to hold the first such summit in early 2025.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the head of the UK Government promised to build closer relations with Europe so that future generations could look back at what the continent has achieved together.

Photo: Starmer/X