The United Kingdom and the European Union are exploring the possibility of new negotiations for closer cooperation in defense.
According to the report, EU Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič is expected to arrive in London next week for talks, with trade, energy, and fisheries on the agenda, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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According to sources, Britain is interested in resuming defense-related negotiations as soon as possible.
Talks on the United Kingdom’s accession to the EU’s €150 billion defense fund SAFE collapsed in November 2025 amid claims that the EU had set too high a price for joining the program.
France denied responsibility for the breakdown of the talks, but diplomatic sources say tensions remain between Paris and other member states, including Germany, where, according to them, there is a desire for Britain to join the program “as soon as possible.”
Sources in Brussels acknowledged that the failure to reach an agreement in November was “unpleasant,” given that the EU and both sides had already announced the prospect of “enhanced cooperation” within the program at a summit organized by Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen in May last year.
It is noted that during Šefčovič’s visit he will meet with a number of British officials.
It should be recalled that at the end of December 2025, the British Chambers of Commerce stated that for companies a closer trade agreement with the EU is a “strategic necessity,” as the current Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), concluded by the government of Boris Johnson after Brexit, does not help significantly increase exports to the EU.
The United Kingdom and the European Union have also agreed to allow British students to once again join the popular Erasmus+ exchange program.
