Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party won a thumping majority in the UK’s July 4 general election, will welcome more than 45 European leaders to Blenheim Palace, west of London, on Thursday.

He will also meet with Irish leader Simon Harris and French President Emmanuel Macron outside of the summit, as his new government “looks to rebuild relationships with key European partners”.

The summit will address “some of the most pressing generational issues” facing the continent, Starmer’s government said in a press release.

NATO, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe will be in attendance for the first time at an EPC meeting, “demonstrating the importance of unity in response to the arc of conflict and instability inside and near Europe’s borders,” Labour added.

Starmer warned that “Europe is at the forefront of some of the greatest challenges of our time”, highlighting “Russia’s barbaric war” that “continues to reverberate across our continent”.

The leaders will also discuss illegal migration and energy when they meet at the country house the birthplace of Winston Churchill.

“We cannot be spectators in this chapter of history. We must do more and go further, not just for the courageous Ukrainians on the frontlines, or those being trafficked from country-to-country, but so our future generations look back with pride at what our continent achieved together,” Starmer said ahead of the summit.

The prime minister, who strongly supported the UK remaining in the EU, has promised to “change the way the UK engages with our European partners, working collaboratively to drive forward progress on these generational challenges”.

In his first week in charge, Starmer reiterated the UK’s “ironclad” support for Ukraine and is expected to use the meeting to push for continued international military and financial support ahead of what is expected to be a “difficult winter”.

It will be the fourth EPC meeting since the grouping was founded in October 2022.

jwp/bc

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