Over the weekend, Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with world leaders at the Munich Security Conference to discuss the future of European security. This annual event is a leading forum for international security policy.

"As Europe, we must stand on our two feet," said the PM. "It means acting together, to build a stronger Europe. A more European Nato. Underpinned by deeper links between the UK and the EU.

The PM was met with applause when he then said:

"We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore. We know that in a dangerous world, we would not take control by looking inward, we would surrender it."

Responding to announcements from the PM on a shared weapons procurement fund designed to bolster Europe's ability to maintain its own defences, and become less reliant on American assistance, former armed forces minister and CEO of European Movement UK, Sir Nick Harvey, said:

"The nations of Europe collectively have a bigger population, wealthier economy and larger armed forces than Russia.  We should be more than capable of defending ourselves against Russia's military and wider security threat.

"But to make those advantages of scale count, we must plan, configure and equip our defence forces together - and not act in isolation from each other on a national level, as that leads to duplication, waste and serious strategic gaps. In particular, to lever our economic muscle and secure good value for taxpayers, we must procure and pay for weapons and equipment collectively.

"With American interest in European security now so unpredictable, European leaders are right to be acting with urgency on this. And Keir Starmer's strong commitment to Britain playing a central role - as one of Europe's larger military powers - is welcome and timely.

"Starmer is right. Britain's security is Europe's security, and vice versa."