British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to see a more independent Europe

Europe must take primary responsibility for its own defense, that is the new normal, he says at the Munich Security Conference.

Europe does not seek conflict but wants lasting peace, says Starmer. Going forward, it is important to demonstrate so-called hard power "because it is the currency of the times," he says, the BBC reports.

He announces that the UK will deploy aircraft carriers in the “North Atlantic and the High North” in 2026.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says that cooperation between the EU and the UK must increase.

Ten years after Brexit, our future is as interconnected as ever, she says, AFP reports.