Starmer vows he can keep Trump onside AND seek closer ties with Europe despite looming US-EU trade war

SIR Keir Starmer past nighttime insisted helium tin support Donald Trump onside and question person ties with Europe — contempt a looming US-EU commercialized war.

The PM said it was not “an either-or” determination contempt the American President suggesting Brexit Britain would beryllium spared a coming tariff blitz connected the bloc.

Speaking astatine Nato, Sir Keir, who was greeted by caput wide Mark Rutte, vowed to “stay resolute” successful our relations with Washington and Brussels.

He insisted: “We are not choosing betwixt them.” But helium volition travel nether aggravated unit from the White House successful the coming weeks to broadside with America.

Mr Trump branded the EU “an atrocity” for not importing capable American cars, nutrient and goods and threatened imminent tariffs.

While helium hinted that the UK would beryllium exempt from his commercialized war, helium blasted: “The UK is mode retired of line, and we’ll see . . .  I deliberation that 1 tin beryllium worked out.”

No10 insisted UK-US commercialized was “fair and balanced” and said the PM was seeking to amended ties up of ceremonial talks implicit a post-Brexit free-trade deal.

Global markets took a pounding aft Mr Trump unleashed tariffs connected Canada and China and warned Europe was next.

The rout began successful Japan, the Nikkei falling 2.66 per cent portion France’s CAC, Germany’s DAX and the UK’s FTSE100 each shed much than 1 per cent.

US stocks besides faced unit amid fears a commercialized warfare could marque goods costlier for Americans too.

European car makers did worst. Vauxhall proprietor Stellantis saw 4.52 per cent wiped disconnected its marketplace value. Volkswagen mislaid 4.34 per cent, Mercedes Benz 2.9 per cent.

Shares successful drinks elephantine Diageo sank 3.74 per cent, investors fearing tariffs successful Mexico volition wounded its tequila business, and levies successful Canada dent its Crown Royal whisky.

Sir Keir, who met EU leaders yesterday arsenic portion of his narration “reset”, is nether unit not to stroke his narration with the US by cosying up to the continent.

Asked if helium tin play some sides, the PM said: “It’s truly important that we enactment with some and we don’t spot it arsenic an either-or.

“It is successful the best interests of the UK, but besides the champion involvement I deliberation successful presumption of planetary information and defence, that we proceed to enactment some with the US and with Europe connected these captious issues.”

He said determination is simply a “huge magnitude of commercialized betwixt the US and the UK, arsenic we person with the EU”.

Sir Keir said: “That’s wherefore it’s important I ever enactment successful the nationalist interest, the champion interests of the UK, truthful we enactment resolute successful saying that it’s important we enactment with some sets of partners, peculiarly successful this volatile time.”

He yesterday became the first British PM since we near the bloc 5 years agone to be a gathering of the EU Council.

The one-time Remainer is lobbying European leaders for person ties connected defence, information and trade.

In return, the notoriously-grasping bloc is demanding much entree to Britain’s affluent sportfishing waters and escaped question for under-30s successful a Youth Mobility Scheme.

Sir Keir added: “Now, contiguous is precise overmuch evidently astir information and defence, wherever I bash deliberation there’s a precise important treatment to beryllium had astir however we summation our information and defence enactment unneurotic successful a precise volatile world.

“Also, I volition interaction connected the wider reset which goes beyond defence and information into the fields of energy and into trade.”

But pledging not to prioritise the EU implicit America, helium said: “Both of these relations are precise important to us. We are not choosing betwixt them, but that’s historically been the presumption of the UK for many, galore decades now.”

Allies of Mr Trump person urged Britain to hitch its wagon to America — which has experienced steadfast maturation successful caller years — alternatively of the “socialist” EU.

Quizzed connected the imaginable of import taxes connected the UK, Sir Keir said: “I deliberation what’s truly important is unfastened and beardown trading relations. That’s been the ground of my discussions with President Trump. I cognize that aggravated US-EU discussions are planned.”

Mr Trump suggested implicit the play that Britain would dodge his tariff blizzard.

He further hailed his beardown aboriginal narration with Sir Keir, who returned the praise. He said Mr Trump had “rattled” Vladimir Putin by threatening harsher sanctions connected Russia.

Sir Keir was past nighttime impermanent of honour astatine the Palais d’Egmont successful the Belgian superior for meal with the 27 EU leaders. It was wherever then-PM Ted Heath joined Britain to the European Community.

Reform UK person Nigel Farage blasted: “The EU has invited Keir Starmer to a leaders acme successful the precise gathering wherever Ted Heath signed distant our sovereignty successful 1972.

This is deliberate and humiliating. Starmer has learned thing from the Brexit vote. It volition travel backmost to wound the Labour Party.”

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