The Times of London reports today that a “leaked defense deal warns that Europe faces the ‘greatest threat in a generation’ from Russia as it pledges closer cooperation on military matters” with the EU. The impact is essentially the scrapping of the BREXIT split between the U.K. and the EU. While the focus and the stated intention is to prepare for joint military operations to confront Russia, it appears to include economic restoration of ties which were fissured by the Brexit agreement.
The Times reports: “The U.K. and the EU will unveil a defense and security pact next week as part of a wide-ranging deal that will bring Britain into the closest alignment it has had with the EU since Brexit. The security pact says that the EU and U.K. face a ‘decisive moment’ and the ‘greatest threat in a generation’ because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and campaign of espionage and sabotage in the West. It says the ‘seriousness’ of the challenge requires a ‘unique and ambitious’ new agreement on security.” They point to the threat from Trump as another cause: “It also provides a mechanism for joint working if the U.S. refused to allow action under NATO’s auspices.”
“The U.K. and the EU share a responsibility for the security of Europe. The security and prosperity of the U.K. and the EU are also closely interconnected and interdependent,” the leaked report states. “The seriousness of the challenges we face calls for a unique and ambitious security and defense relationship between the U.K. and the EU.
“In this context, the EU and the U.K. have decided to establish and implement a tailor-made, mutually beneficial Security and Defense Partnership that will frame their overall co-operation across the security and defense spectrum.”
But it appears to be even more than security. The Times adds that the pact will be the “centrepiece of a summit in London this month that will open the way for the U.K. to restart selling food and agricultural products in the EU without customs checks. It will also commit both sides to working together to agree a separate deal around issues such as youth mobility scheme and energy market co-operation.”
