Kallas urges UK to prioritise defence ties over EU return talks
The EU foreign policy chief called for gradual cooperation ahead of the EU-UK summit on 20 November.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has urged Britain to work within existing EU defence arrangements before pursuing discussions about membership, saying the difficult Brexit negotiations still weigh on officials in Brussels.
Speaking at a meeting with UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, Kallas advocated closer relations through practical, gradual steps. The talks came ahead of the EU-UK summit on 20 November. Streeting also met EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.
The membership debate follows newly elected UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's promise to strengthen ties in trade, education, energy and defence. He has left open the possibility of negotiating a return to the EU. Streeting welcomed the discussion but cautioned against moving ahead of the debate.
Streeting said Britain remained interested in closer defence cooperation despite its earlier decision not to participate in the EU's €150 billion Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loan programme. According to UK sources at the time, talks broke down over an estimated entry fee of €4 billion to €6 billion, which the UK government considered poor value for money.
The discussions covered Russian aggression, including hybrid attacks, and Europe's increasing responsibility for military assistance to Ukraine. Streeting called for a substantial expansion of European defence manufacturing capacity, while warning that the EU's proposed Made in Europe initiative should not become counterproductive protectionism. The UK is outside that initiative because it no longer belongs to the EU single market.
