Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK will “stay resolute” in its commitment to working with both the US and the EU as he insisted that Britain is “not choosing between” them.
The Prime Minister also said he has been clear that both relationships “are important to us”, when asked if he would be willing to water down the UK’s reset with the European bloc to keep Washington on side.
The prospect of a trade war with the US has loomed over the Prime Minister’s trip to Brussels, after comments overnight from President Donald Trump that he is poised to expand his tariff regime to both the UK and the EU, but added that he thinks a deal can be done with Britain.
Speaking at a press conference in the Belgian capital on Monday afternoon alongside Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, Sir Keir said the UK will “stay resolute” in its commitment to working with both the EU and the US because to do so is in the best interests of both Britain and global security.
“It’s really important that we work with both and we don’t see it as an either-or,” the Prime Minister said.
“It is in the best interests of the UK, but also the best interest I think in terms of global security and defence, that we continue to work both with the US and with Europe on these vital issues.”
In response to an earlier question, the PM had said that the UK is “not choosing between” the EU and the US and pressed the importance of both relationships, telling reporters he has “always been clear that both are important to us”.
The meeting with Mr Rutte came ahead of the PM meeting EU leaders at a dinner on Monday evening.
While he said the event will be “very much obviously about security and defence” he said he will also “touch on the wider reset which goes beyond defence and security into the fields of energy, and into trade and the economy”.
He added: “Both of these relations are very important to us. We are not choosing between them, but that’s historically been the position of the UK for many, many decades now.”
Overnight when asked by the BBC if he will target the UK with tariffs, Mr Trump said: “UK is out of line but I’m sure that one… I think that one can be worked out.”
The US president also said discussions with Sir Keir have “been very nice”, adding: “We’ve had a couple of meetings. We’ve had numerous phone calls. We’re getting along very well.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman was asked if Sir Keir believes he can trust Mr Trump to keep his word.
“Yes, the Prime Minister has had a really constructive early set of conversations with President Trump, and looks forward to working with him to deepen our trade, investment, security and defence relationship,” he said.
UK ministers have previously suggested the UK could avoid US tariffs because America does not have a trade deficit with Britain.
Downing Street also said the US is an “indispensable ally” to the UK.
“We’ve got a fair and balanced trading relationship which benefits both sides of the Atlantic,” No 10 said.
