Keir Starmer is risking a clash with Donald Trump as he prepares to sign a ‘reset’ with the EU that snipes at the president’s agenda.
The PM is scrambling to seal a trade deal with the US that can blunt the impact of brutal tariffs.
But allies are anxious that the pact needs to be finalised before Sir Keir unveils his much-heralded new settlement with Brussels on May 19. Mr Trump has claimed the bloc was created to ‘screw’ America, and hailed Brexit.
A leaked UK-EU statement outlines ‘shared principles of maintaining global economic stability’.
The draft says: ‘We confirmed our shared principles of maintaining global economic stability and our mutual commitment to free and open trade.’
It adds that both sides would ‘continue working on how we can mitigate the impact of fluctuations in the global economic order’ and commits the UK and Brussels to ‘multilateralism’.
Keir Starmer is risking a clash with Donald Trump as he prepares to sign a ‘reset’ with the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen (pictured) that snipes at the president’s agenda
The PM is also scrambling to seal a trade deal with the US that can blunt the impact of brutal tariffs
The draft is also said to refer to ‘keeping the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C within reach’.
After a US plan floated recognising Crimea as Russian, the provisional statement says: ‘We reaffirmed our continued support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.’
The document is understood to make no explicit mention of the US President.
A Government spokesman said the UK ‘rejects the premise that it must choose between our European and American allies’.
The package being negotiated with the EU is rumoured to be ambitious, with concerns that Sir Keir is set to make concessions on fishing and taking Brussels rules in order to smooth trade.
Despite Cabinet qualms there is growing speculation that the PM will sign up to a ‘youth free movement’ arrangements, so people can travel and work freely in the bloc and Britain.
The summit on May 19 is due to be hosted by the UK.
It comes as the UK continues to seek a carve-out with the US that would mitigate the impact of Mr Trump’s sweeping tariffs.
Hopes have been dwindling of getting an exemption from the ‘baseline’ 10 per cent charges on goods entering America.
However, efforts are continuing to blunt the 25 per cent levies on car and steel imports – as well as to avert threatened curbs on the pharma industry.
Economists have warned that Mr Trump’s policies are set to spark a global slowdown and wreak havoc with Rachel Reeves’ attempts to revive growth.
Sir Keir has repeatedly rejected suggestions that the UK will need to choose between partnerships with Europe or America, saying the national interest ‘demands that we work with both’.
Rachel Reeves met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week as the UK tries for a deal with America to ease tariff pain
