As a young human-rights lawyer, Keir Starmer fought against the death penalty in courts across the world. Throughout his career, he worked to safeguard the values of justice and democracy—even taking on Vladimir Putin’s government, representing the widow of murdered Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko. Those same principles have guided him since he became the U.K.’s Prime Minister this past July.
Nowhere is this clearer than in his steadfast support for a sovereign and democratic Ukraine. Under his leadership, the U.K. has signed a 100-year partnership with the government in Kyiv and stepped up military aid. He has also played an important role diplomatically maintaining global support for Ukraine. With the world in a period of geopolitical turmoil, both the E.U. and the U.K. recognize the need to take responsibility for the security of our continent. As we embark on building this new security architecture, I am glad to have someone with Keir Starmer’s dedication and strong principles as a partner.
Von der Leyen is European Commission President