Starmer risks Trump's fury over NATO remark as he says alliance is 'in America's interest'

Sir Keir Starmer said Nato was “in America’s interest” and should have a stronger European element in the wake of the Middle East ceasefire after Donald Trump stepped up threats to pull out of the military alliance. The Prime Minister, who has been visiting allies in the Gulf for talks on how to support the pause in fighting, said the bloc had kept us “much safer than we would otherwise have been”.

It comes after he spoke to the US President about the need for a “practical plan” to get shipping going through the Strait of Hormuz as transatlantic tensions run high over the difference in approach to the Iran war. Asked whether he had raised Mr Trump’s threats to withdraw from Nato during the call, Sir Keir told broadcasters: “We’re very strong supporters of Nato and I’ve been making the argument for some considerable time that we need to do more.

It’s the single most effective military alliance the world has ever known.

“Do we Europeans need to do more? Yes, I’ve been making that argument for the best part of two years, to our European partners as much as anybody else.

“We continue to make that case and we will make that case.”

He added: “It is in America’s interests, it’s in European interests. Nato is a defensive alliance, which for decades has kept us much safer than we would otherwise have been.

“So we’re strong supporters of Nato. We’ll always be strong supporters of Nato.

“Do I think this will be a stronger European element to Nato? Yes, and I think we should step into that space.

“We’re already doing it, which is why we’re co-ordinating strategically with our partners in Nato.”

“They’re not words I would use or would ever use because I come at this with our British values and principles foremost and uppermost in my mind.”

Addressing Mr Trump’s threats against a “whole civilisation”, Sir Keir told ITV’s Talking Politics podcast: “Well, that’s why I say, I would never use those words and language like that myself – very important that I’m clear that the United Kingdom, we have our principles, we have our values, we will be guided by them.”

“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!! President DJT,” Trump said in a post.