"From Brexit to Reset: How Security and Defence Are Reshaping EU–UK Relations"

Translated by: Era Stojani.

On April 23rd, London hosted the International Summit on the Future of Energy Security. The presence of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also authorised a separate meeting with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, during which discussions continued regarding the UK's rapprochement with the European Union. The event is particularly significant for the first post-Brexit summit, scheduled on May 19th, which will see the participation of the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission to finalize decisions on defense, mobility, and trade.

Relations between the two sides have been very close throughout 2025: on one hand, there is the Labour Party’s intention under Starmer’s leadership to "reset" relations with the European Union and the direction they took following Brexit, especially concerning trade, mobility, and research. On the other hand, the U.S. presidency of Donald Trump has helped create the conditions for renewed closeness between the two parties. Although the UK has not been as affected as the EU by the trade war, economic and commercial cooperation has become essential for both. Similarly, the reduction of U.S. involvement in Ukraine’s defense has led 31 European countries to cooperate within the so-called "coalition of the willing," led by Starmer and French President Macron, in order to provide strong support to the Ukrainian armed forces and ensure Ukraine’s security in the event of a peace agreement to end the conflict.

In this way, the meeting between von der Leyen and Starmer served as an opportunity to make sure that the United Kingdom’s intention to work with its allies to minimize the impact of current global crises, overcoming previous tensions and starting a new phase in relations with European countries, which is expected to develop over the remaining four years of Starmer’s term as Prime Minister.

The preparatory discussions for the May summit primarily focused on defense. The European Commission’s launch of the ReArm Europe plan includes cooperation with the United Kingdom to increase opportunities related to rearmament. The defense plan also involves the implementation of SAFE, the Commission’s new instrument designed to raise up to €150 billion to be distributed to Member States to finance rearmament plans. This will be done through a system of joint procurement in the European defense industry to purchase ammunition, drones, defense systems, and other military equipment. However, the funds allocated through SAFE are subject to a European preference clause, which stipulates that components and materials from non-EU countries must not exceed 35% of the cost of each funded purchase. This clause will not apply in cases where non-EU countries have signed a defense partnership with the European Union, as is the case with Norway, Moldova, and Albania.

This rule would effectively exclude countries and manufacturers that are not part of the single market—such as the United Kingdom—and major British defense companies like BAE Systems from accessing the funds. For this reason, both British and EU leaders have expressed their desire to quickly reach a new security agreement between the UK and the EU. The proposals discussed so far suggest an agreement modeled after the one reached in 2024 between the EU and Norway, which includes broad cooperation in the security sector, from political dialogue to joint planning systems and intelligence-sharing.

Despite the strategic importance of the partnership and the convergence of interests between the UK and the EU, the negotiations have not been without obstacles. In order to sign a security agreement with another country, the unanimous support of all 27 EU Member States is required. Starmer’s openness to political dialogue and the negotiating leverage linked to access to SAFE funds have created an opportunity for European leaders to tie the security agreement to other political issues, favoring a “package approach” that includes negotiations on mobility, trade, and exports as well. However, among European leaders nd particularly for the French government,it is the renewal of fishing rights agreements that serves as a key political bargaining chip in the negotiations. The current agreements, reached in the context of Brexit in 2020, are set to expire in June 2026, and both the United Kingdom and countries across the Channel will seek to negotiate more favorable quotas in the fishing sector.

The requirement for unanimity in reaching agreements has made the discussions more complex, and there have been explicit objections to the “package approach.” One such example is the intervention by European Council President Antonio Costa, who, following a meeting with European leaders and Starmer last February, stated that “European defense and fisheries cannot be placed on the same level,” reaffirming the strategic importance of the partnership and the priority of defense over other political issues on the EU agenda.

The rapprochement between the UK and the EU is considered essential, especially in the area of defense, given the role the United Kingdom played in the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy before Brexit. The country’s key role within NATO further underscores the need for a bilateral security agreement with the EU. The May 19th summit will be a decisive moment, giving European and British leaders the chance to demonstrate their genuine political will to "reset" relations between the two sides, starting with a sector that is currently crucial to both: defense. The potential conclusion of new agreements on mobility and trade could possibly open a new, more European chapter in British politics.

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