Speaking at a news conference last week, Starmer said the impact of the conflict could "define us for a generation" and compared its potential consequences to the surge in energy prices in the 1970s.
“We want to be more ambitious—closer economic cooperation, closer security cooperation, a partnership that recognises our shared values, our shared interests and our shared future," he said, as cited by the Reuters news agency.
Starmer’s Labour government has been seeking to reset relations with the EU. He said the Brexit deal agreed by the previous Conservative government in 2020 had caused "deep damage" to the British economy, Reuters reported.
His remarks came as US President Donald Trump again criticised European countries that declined to support US military action against Iran, straining transatlantic relations.
Trump warned Britain and other countries to "start learning how to fight for yourself," saying the United States "won’t be there to help you anymore."
He also said last week that the United States is strongly considering withdrawing from NATO after allies failed to back its military actions against Iran.
Starmer has previously said Britain should pursue closer ties with the EU’s single market where it serves the national interest.
Britain voted to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum and formally exited the bloc in 2020.
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Source: Reuters, IAR, PAP