Outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday amid plunging approval ratings, but European leaders offered warm words, praising his efforts to improve relations with the EU and his steadfast support for Ukraine.
Warm Farewells from European Leaders
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media platform X: "It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years. European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir."
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin acknowledged Starmer's role in resetting Irish-British relations and ties between the UK and the European Union. A German government spokesperson described Starmer as "a reliable and close partner." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Starmer "for always being in touch, always engaged, and always striving to do what is needed," adding that their conversations were "filled with real substance."
Starmer's Tenure and Brexit Relations
Starmer, the first non-Conservative prime minister since Britain voted to leave the EU, rejected suggestions that the UK could rejoin the 27-member bloc but pushed to improve relations after the trauma of Brexit. He also maintained Britain's central role in supporting Ukraine, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Starmer came to office in 2024, sweeping aside a deeply unpopular Conservative government that presided over a slumping economy and a nation still divided by the Brexit referendum. However, like other European leaders, he struggled to win over voters disillusioned with mainstream parties and drawn to anti-establishment parties.
Mixed Reactions from US and Russia
Across the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump offered a dismissive send-off, saying Starmer had "failed badly" on immigration and energy. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev claimed credit for Starmer's departure, writing on X: "We did this jointly, by exposing Starmer's warmongering and consistently wrong policies on immigration, crime, energy and economy." A spokesperson later said Dmitriev's comment was made in a personal capacity.
