Into the breach

As the Trump administration retreats from Europe, Germany, France and the UK throw off old rules and pledge to do ‘whatever it takes’ to stand up to Russia

Toby Helm, Jennifer Rankin, Luke Harding, Kate Connolly

WHEN HE rose to his feet at prime minister’s questions last Wednesday, Keir Starmer delivered a stirring tribute to six British soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan 13 years ago. He read out their names very deliberately, one by one. The House was silent. The prime minister then added a tribute to a 22-year-old British Royal Marine, also killed on 6 March, but in 2007 in Helmand province. They were poignant moments, on what is normally a raucous and crudely partisan occasion in the political week. Across the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Starmer told MPs, 642 individuals had died. Many more had been wounded. “We will never forget their bravery and their sacrifice,” he said. But the prime minister’s tributes were not just for the families of the…

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Guardian Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, 14 March 2025

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