Outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer received warm praise from fellow leaders at a summit of five European nations in Berlin on Wednesday evening.
"You have done a great deal for a very strong NATO and a united Europe," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the Labour politician, who had announced his resignation after nearly two years in office on Monday.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Starmer had made "good strategic decisions for Britain" and praised his dignity, decency and courage. "We have been lucky to have him by our side," the French president said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanked Starmer for "excellent cooperation" and wished him "all the best."
Perhaps the warmest tribute came from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a self-confessed Anglophile who, as European Council president, had overseen Britain's departure from the EU. Thanks to Starmer's commitment, he said, they had become a united force again and had "forgotten Brexit for a while."
