Who will Keir Starmer meet at the European Summit at Blenheim Palace today?

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Sir Keir Starmer is hosting his inaugural international gathering as prime minister today, where he will be greeting political figures from various countries in Europe.

Gathering at Blenheim Palace in Oxford, the 'European Political Community Conference' is another important event for Sir Keir as he continues to keep a packed schedule since taking office as Prime Minister just a few weeks ago.

It also shows the new prime minister's interest in enhancing relationships between the UK and the EU, following business secretary Jonathan Reynolds' trip to Italy to establish fresh trade connections.

Stay up to date with the newest political news by tuning into the Independent's live coverage.

At the event, delegates from 47 European countries will be present, among them the 27 EU member states. The prime minister has selected Blenheim Palace as the venue, a location with a rich tradition of hosting political leaders from various nations.

The large structure, situated close to Oxford, is where Winston Churchill was born and holds public events in its spacious garden when it is not being used for official purposes.

Here are some of the important political figures that Sir Keir will be welcoming at the European Summit today:

The leader of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, will be at the gathering of European leaders today. Zelensky, who used to be an entertainer, was elected as Ukraine's president in 2019 and has continued to serve in that role despite the Russian invasion of the country in 2022.

Sir Keir has promised to keep sending help to Ukraine during its conflict with Russia, matching the previous administration's £3 billion annual commitment and supporting the country's bid to join NATO.

The leader of France, Emmanuel Macron, is set to visit Blenheim Palace today. This comes shortly after he unexpectedly called for a snap election in June, which came after his party suffered a major loss in the EU elections.

Sir Keir penned an article for the largest newspaper in France, Le Monde, before the summit at Blenheim, where the president was welcomed to the UK. In his article, Sir Keir emphasized his commitment to strengthening the relationship between their nations.

Giorgia Meloni has been serving as the Prime Minister of Italy since 2022, making history as the first woman to hold this position after winning the election. She has been leading the conservative party Brothers of Italy since 2014 and has shown interest in implementing changes within the European Union.

Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir and Ms Meloni had their first meeting at a NATO Summit in Washington. They talked about staying in touch regarding global issues and finding ways to improve the relationship between their countries.

Olaf Scholz has been serving as the Chancellor of Germany since 2021. Similar to Sir Keir, he has a background as a lawyer, with a focus on labor and employment legal matters.

The two also crossed paths at the NATO summit in Washington, where a spokesperson from Downing Street stated: "The Chancellor praised the Prime Minister's promise to overhaul the UK's European relationships, emphasizing the significance of our alliances with similar-minded nations in a difficult global setting."

Simon Harris was sworn in as Ireland's Prime Minister in April 2024, succeeding Leo Varadkar who had been in office for two terms from 2017 until his resignation in 2024.

Sir Keir recently improved relations between the two countries by sharing two pints of Guinness with the Irish leader during a meeting at Chequers, the prime minister's residence.