President von der Leyen strengthens EU-UK ties during visit to London

European Commission - Announcement President von der Leyen strengthens EU-UK ties during visit to London Brussels, 28 April 2025 On 24 April, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was in London, where she met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to prepare the upcoming EU-UK Summit and to address the Future of Energy Security Summit organised by the International Energy Agency and the UK government. Upon her arrival in London, President von der Leyen affirmed the friendship, interests and common values that unite the EU and the UK. During her meeting with Prime Minister Starmer, the President highlighted the potential for cooperation on issues such as energy, security and defence, and illegal migration. Both leaders also reiterated their commitment to continue supporting Ukraine. On the issue of energy, President von der Leyen delivered a speech at the Future of Energy Security Summit. The cooperation between the EU and the UK in this area is centred on the resource-rich North Sea: “The North Sea region has it all: offshore wind, marine energy, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage,” the President said. She emphasised that the EU offers investors regulatory certainty, critical in bolstering electricity trading flows. The President described a new paradigm of energy security, characterised by Russia's attempt to weaponise energy supplies, but also by instability in the Middle East and the disruption created by tariffs across the Atlantic. She spoke about how the EU...