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Breakthrough in EU-UK talks - report
The BBC has meanwhile reported a breakthrough in EU-UK talks, citing government sources. We’ll bring you more when we have them.
The talks were taking place over the weekend ahead of a key summit in London hosted by Keir Starmer with EU leaders on Monday, which is aimed at resetting the UK’s relationship with the bloc five years after Brexit.
The talks were aimed at striking a deal to be signed at the summit and had gone down to the wire to resolve squabbling over long-standing issues, including fishing rights and a youth mobility scheme.
An agreement would mark a symbolic step in turning the page on the animosity that followed Britain’s exit from the bloc in January 2020.
No 10’s decision to issue a press statement on Saturday presenting the summit as a done deal caused irritation in Brussels, prompting some to recall the mantra of Brexit negotiations: “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”
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What could be in the new security and defence pact that is likely to be announced today?
We expect an announcement on defence and security later today, which could see the UK get access to a £125bn EU defence fund - a boost for UK defence companies.
The fund has taken on a new sense of urgency since Donald Trump re-entered the White House in January as the US president has signalled that America will no longer be the primary guarantor of European security.
My colleagues Jennifer Rankin and Jessica Elgot have a little more detail about the fund in this story. Here is an extract from it:
The SAFE fund would allow EU member states to take out loans to buy up to €150bn of air and missile defence systems, ammunition, drones and other military kit.
It was proposed by the commission in March, as part of a drive to increase European defence spending by €800bn amid deep shock at Donald Trump’s rush to offer concessions to Vladimir Putin in a bid to end Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Reflecting the influence of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, the fund has a “buy European” rule meaning that components from non-EU countries can only make up 35% of the cost of any project.
That restriction is relaxed for Ukraine and any country with a defence and security partnership with the EU.
The Guardian’s political editor, Pippa Crerar, reports that there was indeed a breakthrough in EU-UK talks last night but that “there are still some steps to take”.
🇪🇺🇬🇧EU reset update: understand there was a late breakthrough last night in talks between two sides to secure landmark deal, but that there are still some steps to take. https://t.co/tZFBqVIgfR
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) May 19, 2025Breakthrough in EU-UK talks - report
The BBC has meanwhile reported a breakthrough in EU-UK talks, citing government sources. We’ll bring you more when we have them.
The talks were taking place over the weekend ahead of a key summit in London hosted by Keir Starmer with EU leaders on Monday, which is aimed at resetting the UK’s relationship with the bloc five years after Brexit.
The talks were aimed at striking a deal to be signed at the summit and had gone down to the wire to resolve squabbling over long-standing issues, including fishing rights and a youth mobility scheme.
An agreement would mark a symbolic step in turning the page on the animosity that followed Britain’s exit from the bloc in January 2020.
No 10’s decision to issue a press statement on Saturday presenting the summit as a done deal caused irritation in Brussels, prompting some to recall the mantra of Brexit negotiations: “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”
