Munich, Feb. 14 -- European and NATO members must move from "overdependence" on the US and toward more autonomy and "hard power," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, adding that London must fight back if it is able.

"That is the currency of the age, we must be able to deter aggression, and yes, if necessary, we must be ready to fight, to do whatever it takes to protect our people, our values and our way of life," Starmer said at the Munich Security Conference.

Starmer's remarks came amid the recent shift in Washington's policy towards NATO, where it has pressed the rest of the bloc's members to increase their defence spending, arguing that the US has been the primary spender with minimal payments from Europe, which has been taxing on the...