Starmer says joining Ukraine loan would be good for EU ties

Sir Keir Starmer has said joining a £78bn (€90bn) European Union loan scheme to support Ukraine against Russia will be "very good" for relations with the bloc and create jobs in the UK. The UK is "discussing participating" in the scheme, the prime minister said ahead of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Armenia on Monday. He has said talks are aimed at strengthening Ukraine's defences while also trying to give UK firms access to future contracts. EU leaders last month approved the deal to lend Ukraine €90bn over the next two years after Hungary lifted its veto, with the funding described as "a matter of life and death" by Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka. Two-thirds of it will be spent on bolstering Ukraine's defence needs while the rest will go on broader financial assistance. Sir Keir is one of 48 heads of state invited to attend the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan, Armenia. Speaking to media as he arrived on Monday, he said: "In relation to the EU loan that we are discussing participating in, that is very good for Ukraine, because it will give Ukraine capability that it desperately needs in year five of this conflict. "It's very good for the UK, because of the capability that leads to jobs in the United Kingdom. "And it's very good for UK-EU relations, which is very important as we go on to the various discussions." The first EPC meeting was convened in October 2022 - months after Russia launched its full-scale invas