UK leader Keir Starmer to meet Ursula von der Leyen to ‘reset’ post-Brexit relationship

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Brussels next week for talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about “resetting” Britain’s relationship with the European Union.

“I want to reset our relationship with the EU and make Brexit work for the British people. Looking forward to visiting Brussels next week to start discussions,” Starmer wrote on X on Wednesday.

“Looking forward to welcoming you at the EU Commission in Brussels next week to discuss the reset of EU-UK relations,” von der Leyen responded.

The meeting was fixed after the two leaders met briefly in New York on Wednesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. It will be the first time Starmer will hold formal discussions with the Commission president since becoming prime minister on July 5.

Starmer has already met with several EU leaders in recent months, including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Olaf Scholz and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, in an effort to reshape Britain’s relations with the bloc, more than four years after it formally left.

During a visit to Berlin in late August, Starmer said he was “absolutely clear” about his desire to restore good relations with the EU, but said this did not mean “reversing Brexit.”