European officials praised the British PM's security contributions before his resignation triggered a delay in planned EU-UK talks.
4:02 PM
European leaders have paid tribute to Keir Starmer following his announcement of resignation as British prime minister, an action that has prompted the postponement of an upcoming EU-UK summit.
Ursula von der Leyen, Friedrich Merz and Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged Starmer's contributions to security matters during his tenure. The remarks came as EU officials began reassessing plans for the bilateral meeting between the bloc and the United Kingdom.
António Costa, president of the European Council, said the summit would need to be postponed but indicated that the EU remained committed to rescheduling the talks. "For sure we need to postpone it, but we are reassessing the opportunity to hold this new summit," Costa said.
Costa expressed hope that Starmer's successor would maintain continuity in efforts to reset relations between the EU and the UK. "My wish is that [Starmer's] successor will give continuity on this path to reset our relationship with the UK," he said.
The summit had been scheduled for July, according to EU planning documents. The postponement follows standard diplomatic protocol when a change in national leadership occurs, allowing time for a new British administration to be formed and for preliminary discussions to take place between the incoming government and EU officials.
Starmer had hosted a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron on June 7, 2026, prior to announcing his resignation.
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