Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer visits Nato headquarters in Brussels as he is set to urge other world leaders that Europe must bear down on Vladimir Putin’s Russia as its economy falters in the wake of sanctions.

Starmer and Nato chief Rutte to speak from Brussels

The prime minister is meeting European Council leaders as he continues efforts to “reset” Britain’s relationship with the EU five years on from Brexit.

At a meeting in Belgium, focused on defence, Sir Keir will urge the UK’s nearest allies to step up their support for Ukraine amid scepticism from the US about aid for the war-torn country.

“I’m here to work with our European partners on keeping up the pressure, targeting the energy revenues and the companies supplying his missile factories to crush Putin’s war machine.”

Around 2,100 Russian individuals and entities have been sanctioned by the UK, the majority since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“We must and will do this, but the perspective and goal should be that we proceed in such a way that it leads to cooperation,” he added.

“It is clear that the precondition for understanding is that you know your own strength. Europe can act.”

US President Donald Trump announced punitive tariffs on goods from China, Canada and Mexico and threatened the European Union with the same due to the trade surplus EU countries such as Germany have with the US.

Scholz emphasised that both sides would benefit from the exchange of goods and services.

Mr Starmer’s EU visit came as Downing Street responded to Trump’s claim that the UK was “out of line” after the US president’s threats of an international trade war caused EU markets to tumble.

Earlier, Trump hinted that Britain may avoid new US tariffs and told the BBC: “UK is out of line but I’m sure that one… I think that one can be worked out.”