In his first week as British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer made significant strides on the international stage, particularly at the NATO summit in Washington.
There, he emphasized a strong commitment to NATO and urged member countries to increase their defense spending. (It is true that the UK’s defense spending is more than 2 percent of the GDP, there are nine other countries who have higher contribution than that.)
Starmer’s debut was marked by a message of renewed engagement, stating, “We’re back,” signaling a shift from the UK’s inward-focused politics of recent years. This stance was reinforced by early conversations with global leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and various European leaders, including an anticipated conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. These interactions are all part of his strategy to bolster European security and explore potential UK-EU security pacts.
Starmer also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Standing side by side, he reiterated the UK’s steadfast support for Ukraine against Russian aggression. This meeting underscored the UK’s intention to continue its multi-year military aid to Ukraine, a commitment previously established under the Conservative government.
While Starmer started his mandate with strong foreign policy messages (including his Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who was on a tour of European countries to strengthen diplomatic relations), he could only hope that it was easier to show some fast progress on that field than internally, where he faces challenges, such as the urgent need to improve public services and to address the cost-of-living crisis.
He learned the hard way that it is not always as easy as looks like.
In a stunning display of international diplomacy gymnastics, the newly minted Prime Minister has managed to navigate the treacherous waters of global conflicts like a bull in a china shop.
The episode which unfolded at the NATO summit in Washington DC left observers scratching their heads and world leaders eyeing their X accounts with newfound suspicion, a tweet surely heard ‘round the world, even if not the way Starmer had probably intended.
It all started innocently enough when Starmer, clearly still searching for his footing on the global stage, mistakenly signaled to the world that Ukraine had been greenlit to launch British-made Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russian territory. A move hailed by some as a bold departure from the previous government’s cautious stance, and by others as a reckless game of international whack-a-mole.
Mr. Starmer said the military aid would be used “in accordance with international humanitarian law”. “It is for defensive purposes, but it is for Ukraine to decide how to deploy it for those defensive purposes. I don’t mean to get into a discussion here, as you would imagine, all targeting that would be inappropriate, but that is the position.”
After their meeting, President Zelensky posted on X: “This morning, I learned about the permission to use Storm Shadow missiles against military targets in Russian territory. (…) Today we had the opportunity to discuss the practical implementation of this decision. I’m grateful to the UK for its unwavering support for Ukraine and our people.”
Of course, the Russian reaction arrived lightning fast. President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman announced from Moscow, “If this is so then, of course, this is another absolutely irresponsible step towards escalating tensions and seriously escalating the situation.” Dimitry Peskov further told Reuters: “We will be watching this very thoroughly and respond accordingly.”
Probably some of the UK’s allies had the same opinion. (Only they might have expressed it quietly.)
Downing Street 10, perhaps nursing a collective headache from the ensuing media storm, swiftly clarified that no such permission had been granted. According to the statement issued on Thursday, government policy “had not changed” regarding the deployment of the long-range missiles, despite comments from the Prime Minister that “suggested he was loosening restrictions on how the missiles are used”.
Cue the collective sighs of relief from Moscow to Washington, where eyebrows were likely raised higher than a Cold War satellite.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky, who earlier must have felt like he’d just been handed the keys to the missile cabinet and had eagerly used social media to thank the UK for their “unwavering support”, had to discover that the keys were still firmly in the pockets of British bureaucracy.
The incident showcased a remarkable transition from hawkish rhetoric to a scramble for damage control, reminiscent of any child’s first day at summer camp: enthusiastic, yet wildly unprepared. The diplomatic equivalent of accidentally starting a food fight in the cafeteria and then sheepishly asking for napkins.
Lessons learned?
As the dust settles over this X-induced tempest, one can only hope that Prime Minister Starmer and his team take away a valuable lesson: in the realm of international relations, clarity is king, and X is best left for cat memes and diplomatic niceties.
In conclusion, while the Storm Shadow missiles remain grounded in British policy constraints, Prime Minister Starmer has unwittingly launched himself into the annals of diplomatic missteps, proving once again that in the age of social media, even the most carefully calculated policies can fall prey to a 280-character slip-up.
