In a meeting with EU and NATO leaders, the Prime Minister called for increased defence cooperation regarding cable security to safeguard against state threats and sabotage.
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The call for collaboration comes after a Russian spy ship was spotted near UK waters, with the Defence Secretary telling Parliament it was mapping critical underwater infrastructure.
The Yantar's incursion heightened concerns among European nations about possible damage to several subsea cables in the Baltics by Russia.
While those fears were unfounded, with the latest incident found to have been an accident, that hasn’t stopped European nations from looking into ways to improve subsea resilience and deterrence.
UK lawmakers launched an inquiry into the country’s own subsea strategy, but the Prime Minister told European counterparts to come together on subsea infrastructure, adding to existing efforts in the Red Sea and training Ukrainian troops.
“We will be more successful in building the European defence sector and contributing more to our own defence if we work together,” the Prime Minister said.
Starmer’s call to action comes as he pushes for a “reset” in relations with the EU, some five years after the UK left the single market.
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