European summit live: We're resetting our approach to illegal migration, Keir Starmer says at European leaders’ summit

Summary

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the UK is "resetting" its approach to illegal migration, as he speaks at the end of a European leaders' summit
He also announces £84m of funding for projects in Africa and the Middle East to tackle illegal migration "at source"
When asked by the BBC, he says he agrees with French President Emmanuel Macron that there's no "silver bullet" for small boat crossings
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said "Putin has not divided us" as he thanked nearly 50 leaders gathered at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire "for every life saved by your support"

Live Reporting

Edited by Emily Atkinson

Orban clenches his fists and raises them as he stamps his arrivalpublished at 10:33 British Summer Time 18 July
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attracted criticism from EU chief Ursula von der Leyen over what she described as an "appeasement mission" meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month
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Sir Keir Starmer is the fourth British prime minister that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has met since he took office in 2021 - the pair chatted last week in Washington on the side-lines of the 75th Nato anniversary meeting
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Belgium’s outgoing PM Alexander de Croo has warned against UK “cherry picking” new arrangements with the EU
Zelensky and Stoltenberg up next - as Ukraine war remains high on the agendapublished at 10:30 British Summer Time 18 July
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Last week in Washington Jens Stoltenberg outlined further Nato measures to support Ukraine with training and logistics - but he stressed these would not make the organisation "a party to the conflict"
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on social media to say he would meet King Charles, government officials and executives from defence companies after attending the European Political Community Summit in Blenheim
Spanish PM arrives - will he bring up the Euros final?published at 10:18 British Summer Time 18 July
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Just like Keir Starmer, Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez is a keen football fan. Days ago the pair were in Berlin to watch Spain beat England 2-1 at the Euro 2024 final. Will Sanchez bring up the result at Blenheim Palace?
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On Thursday, Keir Starmer met with Taoiseach Simon Harris at Chequers. The two leaders then had dinner together at the country house - the British PM said he was pleased to have the opportunity to "reset" the UK's relationship with Ireland
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Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, a staunch critic of Russia's Vladimir Putin, resigned from her role on Monday in order to take up a new job as the European Union's next foreign policy chief
Starmer calls for stronger relations with Francepublished at 10:03 British Summer Time 18 July
Image source, Laurent Blevennec/Presidency of the Republic
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Emmanuel Macron welcoming Sir Keir Starmer at Elysée Palace in September last year
Keir Starmer says the UK and France will mark a "new chapter" as he welcomes President Macron for the European Political Community summit in Oxfordshire.
Writing for the French newspaper Le Monde, Starmer says a stronger relationship with France is "essential" and his government is "determined to reset" its relationship with Europe.
Quote Message
This year marks another important anniversary in our shared history – 120 years of the Entente Cordiale. It's true, we are no longer united through the EU, but we are united by so much – as partners in the G7, allies in NATO, colleagues on the UN Security Council and champions of those enduring values."
"Our two nations are pillars of European security and stability, and so we have a particular responsibility to respond" to the war in Ukraine, Starmer writes.
"We can never allow aggression to prevail on our continent," he adds.
Starmer says he wants to increase cooperation on defence and security with his European partners, and will discuss the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, climate change and illegal migration with President Macron.
The Labour prime minister also commits to upholding the European Convention on Human Rights, saying, "This government will approach this issue with humanity and with profound respect for international law".
Kosovo, Swiss and Norway leaders next to arrivepublished at 09:52 British Summer Time 18 July
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Kosovo's president Vjosa Osmani has said she will be reaffirming her commitment to bringing her country "closer to Euro-Atlantic institutions"
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President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd is due to take part in a EPC discussion on "democracy, which will address hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns"
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The government of Norway's Jonas Gahr Støre has been one of the biggest financial supporters of Ukraine
In pictures: a few more arrivalspublished at 09:22 British Summer Time 18 July
The arrivals of foreign dignitaries are continuing at full steam at Blenheim Palace, with foreign leaders being greeted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, once Russia's strategic ally, has been seeking closer ties with the West
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Latvian PM Evika Silina, whose country shares a border with Russia, has urged Nato to reinforce its eastern flank
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Luxembourg's Luc Frieden has reaffirmed his country's commitment to supporting Ukraine's future membership of Nato
Security, energy, AI - what else did previous meetings focus on?published at 09:14 British Summer Time 18 July
The first meeting in October 2022 was held after Russia first invaded Ukraine, and focused primarily on peace and security issues.
The summit - held that year in Prague - also discussed energy prices, one of the key reasons behind establishing a pan-European summit that would allow for quick, continent-wide measures to be taken.
In Moldova in June 2023, the same themes took centre stage, alongside connectivity and mobility in Europe.
And in Granada in October 2023, leaders discussed making the continent more resilient and prosperous, with the UK leading discussions on artificial intelligence (AI) and illegal migration.
Symbolism to the fore as summit takes place at Churchill's birthplacepublished at 09:01 British Summer Time 18 July
James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent, reporting from Blenheim Palace
Summits are all about symbolism. Downing Street says the EPC is being held here at Blenheim Palace because it is the birthplace of Winston Churchill.
They say he “stood up to a previous generation of aggression on European soil and was the inspiration for the Council of Europe”.
The slight problem is that not all the symbolism is that appropriate. The grand baroque mansion where the summit is being held is named after an historic battle in 1704 from a time when Europe was once again divided by war.
Only then it was the British and the Austrians defeating, well, the French and the Bavarians. A penny for the thoughts of President Macron as he walks past the paintings of defeated French forces bowing down to Britannia.
Summit a chance for us to reset relationship with Europe - Lammypublished at 08:50 British Summer Time 18 July
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has been speaking this morning ahead of the gathering of European leaders at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he says the summit is an opportunity for the UK to "reset our relationship with Europe".
Lammy says immigration is an "issue across Europe", and that it is a key priority for today along with security and the war in Ukraine.
He also says the Labour government's scrapping of the Rwanda scheme has been welcomed across the European family.
Also speaking to the Today programme, the foreign secretary says that with the possible win of Donald Trump in the US election in November, "Europeans will have to bear a bigger slice of the burden for European security".
Lammy says there are "many actors" in relation to US foreign policy and that many of them understand that "European security and security in the Pacific are linked".
Dignitaries start arriving at Blenheim Palacepublished at 08:45 British Summer Time 18 July
Sir Keir Starmer has started to welcome the first dignitaries to arrive at Blenheim Palace for the European Political Community meeting.
Among the first to greet the prime minister were Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dick Schoof.
Image source, Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
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Croatian Marija Pejcinovic Buric heads the 46-member-state Council of Europe, which aims to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law
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Dick Schoof took over from Mark Rutte as Dutch PM on 2 July
Starmer to tell summit European security priority for his governmentpublished at 08:28 British Summer Time 18 July
Image source, Reuters
The prime minister is set to tell the meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) that he believes the challenges facing Europe cannot be solved alone, and that countries “must work collectively to deliver solutions”.
He will pledge to help lead the Europe-wide effort to combat organised immigration crime and people smuggling gangs in co-operation with European border and law enforcement agencies as well as individual member states.
“We cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future," Starmer will tell European leaders.
"That is why European security will be at the forefront of this government’s foreign and defence priorities, and why I am focused on seizing this moment to renew our relationship with Europe."
He will add that it will start with the UK taking a more active role on the world stage, rooted in “upholding democratic values and international law”.
“We will only be able to secure our borders, drive economic growth and defend our democracies if we work together,” the PM will add.
The guest list at a glancepublished at 08:12 British Summer Time 18 July
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is one of the leaders attending - here he is pictured at a previous EPC summit in Moldova
Invited to take part in the fourth summit of the European Political Community are 47 heads of state and government, as well as EU institutions.
These include the leaders of the 27 EU members states and other European nations, including Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the meeting and the EU will be represented by the European Council President Charles Michel. Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will also attend the meeting.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will not be attending as the EPC meeting coincides with a secret vote by members of the European Parliament on her second term as its head.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also not be present.
Security ever-more urgent for European leaderspublished at 07:57 British Summer Time 18 July
James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent, reporting from Blenheim Palace
The European Political Community was born in the dangerous months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The bi-annual summits give European leaders - both within the EU and without - a chance to discuss how best to ensure the security on their continent.
That imperative is ever more urgent after Russian gains on the battlefield and rising chances of Donald Trump withdrawing US support for Ukraine.
So today’s gathering is not just an opportunity for a new prime minister to engage in some diplomatic speed dating, it also allows European leaders to discuss how to boost their defences, secure their energy supplies, and make their economies, politics and borders more resilient.
Critics say these one-day summits are talking shops. But today they’re talking about how to protect Europe from Russian aggression and American uncertainty. And that talk matters.
What is the European Political Community?published at 07:50 British Summer Time 18 July
The European Political Community (EPC) first met in October 2022 and brought together the leaders of 44 European nations.
The idea for the summit developed in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
A “platform for political coordination”, the EPC aims to “foster political dialogue and cooperation” and “strengthen the security, stability and prosperity of the European continent”.
The community, initially proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, does not publish binding commitments and is a forum which does not replace any existing organisation. It is also not linked to the European Union.
So far, the meeting has been held three times: in October 2022 in the Czech Republic, in June 2023 in Moldova and in October 2023 in Spain.
The bi-annual meetings are hosted alternately by non-EU members and the EU member state which holds the EU Council Presidency.
The next meeting will take place in Hungary in November.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer to host European leaders' summitpublished at 07:42 British Summer Time 18 July
Nadia Ragozhina
Live page editor
Image source, PA Media
Welcome to our live coverage of the gathering of the European Political Community taking place at Blenheim Palace - the birthplace of Winston Churchill.
The almost 50 European leaders who are attending will discuss continued support to Ukraine, energy and connectivity, security and democracy, as well as migration.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host the fourth EPC summit, which he plans to use to push for action to secure the continent's borders as he steps up efforts to tackle the UK's asylum backlog.
The leaders will also attend a reception hosted by King Charles III.
We will start seeing the dignitaries arrive soon, so stay with us as we bring you the latest news and analysis from the summit.