Trump’s tariff threat should bring the EU and Starmer’s UK closer together

Optics that count in an international crisis frequently revolve around summits, when the dynamics of the leading nations spill into the open. With UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer dealing with a changed world order, so too do his travel plans.

It is under this atmosphere that Mr Starmer huddled on Monday with EU officials and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte. The informal meeting involving the UK leader and the EU’s top council had, in reality, just one focus – how to future-proof themselves for what is to come from US President Donald Trump.

The American President’s remarks on Sunday about trade tariffs with the Europeans provide an opportunity for Mr Starmer. Mr Trump warned that tariffs to reverse the “atrocity” of the EU trade surplus with America were on the way. He did add that the UK was “out of line” but then added that he thought something could be worked out with London. So there was something in the remarks for Mr Starmer’s team to work with, not so much for the Europeans.

French President Emmanuel Macron took a bold stand warning that Europe would have to respond to the Trump tariffs as a “true power”. But the question is if the EU is indeed a true power. Look beyond tariffs and ask if the region is psychologically prepared to go it alone. There are many who worry that if the tide of US security – which has been extended since the Second World War – goes out, European defence will be left exposed.

This makes it important for European officials to heal the Brexit divide with the UK. The British defence budget may be strained, but it remains a heavy hitter with a goal of boosting its spending to 2.5 per cent of its gross domestic product around the end of the decade.

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte attended the informal meeting with UK and EU leaders on Monday. Reuters

Monday’s meeting was cued up as informal, because last week marked five years since the UK formally left the EU. Next year, it will be a decade since the referendum to leave the EU was organised as well as Mr Trump’s first presidential victory.

London may not be an EU capital, but it remains on the faultline of the European divide over rearmament. Mr Trump’s proposed talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin are not yet in the public domain. The concept of freezing the Ukraine conflict at current or similar frontlines to those today seems to be the only basis that would get Moscow to agree an armistice.

Europe would then be in a situation that closely parallels the division of Korea between 1945 and 1948. This would amount to an absence of war but the existence of a divide that dictates the security dynamics of the region.

With the US focused on its great-power rivalry with China, the onus would firmly shift to the EU countries to show that their defence capabilities were strong enough for their own integrity. For years, Ukraine’s security officials have been pressing the Europeans to show that they are willing to build up the arms factories and defence technology institutes that would expand the production of material. For example, Kyiv needs millions of artillery shells but cannot turn to the Europeans to make as many as Russia is churning out.

Dogmatic in the pursuit of self-reliance, Mr Macron is pushing for EU member states to expand their defence spending. A majority of European countries take a different view, and they are arguing that they need to log plenty of orders with US defence companies right now. This would have the effect of helping to ameliorate some of Mr Trump’s worst tariff instincts.

Canada and Mexico hit back after Trump imposes heavy tariffs

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By narrowing the deficit and providing American factories with orders, the Europeans would hope to buy time to win over the Trump team. They could both say that they are boosting defence spending, as Mr Trump demands, and supporting American industry.

Those opposed to Mr Macron’s arguments for a homegrown solution also doubt that the Europeans can build a defence industry that rivals in depth and effectiveness what is on offer from the US. To this line of argument, the speed of dropping orders over to the UK is the most important thing.

For both sides, therefore, the UK is a test. This is because Mr Macron seems averse to the idea of including the UK in his “buy European” plan. Paris would prefer trade-offs with the UK over market access and other concessions in a process designed to sort out the worst aspects of Brexit.

On Monday, Charlie Falconer, a former Labour cabinet minister, asked if the Europeans would really fail to come together to defend the continent against Russia because of a side dispute over access to fishing rights post-Brexit. This is a serious question, and there are others.

The reality is that the UK’s defence industry is well integrated with its European partners, as well as its American ones. It has much to give, as the European leaders seek a quick study on how to boost defence.

To repeat the patterns of the past with arguments about how to retain European exclusivity is to fail the challenge unfolding in these early weeks of 2025.

Cracks in the Wall

Ben White, Pluto Press

UAE currency

Gitex 2018

Gitex 2018: the rise of the robots won't replace the human touch

Gitex 2018: tomorrow's world - in pictures

Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.

On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.

The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.

What is safeguarding?

“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.

While you're here

National Editorial: Donald Trump has left his mark on the Middle East

Con Coughlin: The thorn in the side of Biden's foreign policy team

James Reinl: Biden’s Yemen U-turn gets thumbs-up overseas

Raghida Dergham: Will Biden's 'maximum diplomacy' with Iran work?

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

If you go

The flights

Fly direct to London from the UAE with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from about Dh2,500 return including taxes.

The hotel

Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.

The tour

The Shoreditch Street Art Tour costs from £15 (Dh73) per person for approximately three hours.

The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games

The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.

Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.

ENGLAND SQUAD

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

How to help

Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.

Account name: Dar Al Ber Society

Account Number: 11 530 734

IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734

Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae

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