Talks for UK to join EU defence fund collapse in blow to Starmer’s bid to reset relations
Guardian3 days
UK-EU Defense Fund Talks Collapse Over Payment Dispute
Is the EU exploiting the U.K. post-Brexit with excessive fees, or does exclusive security access require economic concessions?
Above: The Union flag and the EU flag at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on Aug. 28, 2024. Image credit: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Right narrative
Brussels is shaking down Britain for billions in upfront payments to access defense programs while the EU scrambles to cover its own massive debts from pandemic borrowing. The bloc's broke and desperate, demanding anywhere from 4.5 billion to 6.5 billion euros when a few hundred million would be fair, all while trying to punish the U.K. for Brexit.
Pro-Europe narrative
A U.K.-EU Security and Defense Partnership modeled on the Norway agreement would unlock vital access to European defense instruments and funding at a critical moment for continental security. The framework enables structured cooperation on Ukraine support, crisis management and joint capability development while positioning British defense firms within Europe's emerging architecture.