UK's Starmer says Europe is strong and united behind Ukraine

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that Europe was strong and he would stand up for its values of freedom and democracy after US President Donald Trump said the continent was decaying.

In an interview with Politico on Tuesday, Trump called Europe's political leaders weak and denounced Europe for failing to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump's comments followed the publication last week of the US national security strategy that warned Europe faced "civilizational erasure" and must change course.

"What I see is a strong Europe, united behind Ukraine and united behind our long-standing values of freedom and democracy, and I will always stand up for those freedoms," Starmer said, responding to a question by a British lawmaker in parliament about the national security strategy.

Trump, in his interview with Politico, also described London Mayor Sadiq Khan as a "disaster."

Khan, who represents Starmer's centre-left Labour Party, in 2016 became the first Muslim to be elected mayor of London.

The US president has long been critical of Khan, and the two men have clashed repeatedly in recent years.

Starmer's press secretary said on Wednesday that Trump's comments were "wrong" and defended Khan's record.

"The prime minister is hugely proud of the Mayor of London's record, and proud to call him a colleague and a friend."

Khan's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Speaking to Reuters from Brazil ahead of the COP30 environmental summit last month, Khan defended his record.

"London, like New York, is a city that is liberal, multicultural, progressive, and also incredibly successful," he said.

"We are the antithesis of everything that Donald Trump is about," he added, as he hailed Zohran Mamdani's victory in the New York City mayoral race.

Mamdani describes himself as a democratic socialist and is the first Muslim mayor of New York.