Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday 22 October at the Western Balkans Leaders’ Summit in London. According to Downing Street’s readout, both leaders underlined the need for deeper cooperation on irregular migration and European security. The Associated Press reported the summit took place at Lancaster House as part of the Berlin Process.
On Ukraine, the leaders agreed Kyiv must be in the strongest possible position before, during and after any ceasefire and restated that no decision about the country’s future should be taken without Ukraine’s participation. The Prime Minister also called for intensified efforts to degrade Russia’s war economy. The meeting came ahead of a UK‑convened “Coalition of the Willing” session in London on Friday 24 October, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to join.
That coalition has served through 2025 as a vehicle for coordinating military support and post‑hostilities planning. A joint UK–France–Ukraine statement on 10 July referenced at least €40bn of military support for Ukraine in 2025, development of an operational headquarters and preparatory work on a reassurance force to deploy once hostilities cease. Friday’s gathering is set to continue that agenda.
Turning to the Middle East, the UK readout records agreement to uphold the ceasefire and expand humanitarian access. In recent days, Britain has embedded a small number of planning officers - including a two‑star deputy commander - in a U.S.‑led Civil‑Military Coordination Centre in Israel, while Germany has confirmed three personnel for the same mission. An earlier E3 leaders’ statement on 10 October welcomed the ceasefire agreement and pledged support for its implementation.
Migration and regional security framed the London summit. The UK announced sanctions designations under its irregular migration sanctions regime against Balkan‑based gangs and financiers, and confirmed an extension of its contribution to NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) until at least December 2028. Reporting from AP and Reuters highlighted parallel debates on proposed “return hubs” for rejected asylum seekers, with some Western Balkan leaders signalling opposition.
Policy Wire analysis: The Starmer–Merz conversation signals tighter UK–German alignment across three files - sustaining Ukraine’s defence and ceasefire planning, supporting implementation of the Gaza truce through limited, non‑combat deployments, and constricting irregular migration routes via sanctions and operational cooperation. For officials, this points to more intensive UK–EU coordination through ad‑hoc coalitions alongside NATO structures.
For Ukraine policy, immediate markers are whether Friday’s London meeting advances practical steps on integrated air defence, commits funding beyond 2025, and refines parameters for a potential Multinational Force Ukraine once fighting stops - an idea trailed in the July statement and nested within NATO’s security assistance and capability coalitions.
On the Middle East file, British and German personnel remain in advisory and coordination roles rather than combat tasks. The near‑term test is whether the Civil‑Military Coordination Centre can establish clear legal authorities, monitoring arrangements and aid corridors as the ceasefire beds in. Any scale‑up will depend on political progress and partner contributions.
For European security and migration, London’s use of the Berlin Process indicates a preference for practical cooperation with Western Balkan partners while keeping NATO central to regional stability. The new UK sanctions regime on organised immigration crime - activated again this week - suggests further designation rounds as shared intelligence develops; the KFOR extension locks in a longer‑term stabilisation presence.