Britain will open formal talks on joining a €90 billion EU-backed loan program for Ukraine on Monday, as London moves to tighten defense ties with Europe amid mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to meet European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of a European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan, The Financial Times reported, citing people briefed on the preparations
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The talks will focus on funding Ukraine’s war effort, with the UK seeking a role in covering interest costs on the massive loan plan – a move aimed at securing access for British defense firms to lucrative contracts supplying Kyiv.
“We need to go further and faster on defense,” Starmer said ahead of the meeting, stressing the need to ensure Ukraine has the equipment to “defend its freedom.”
The EU plan earmarks €60 billion for weapons purchases and €30 billion for Ukraine’s budget needs. Kyiv would be allowed to buy arms from partners like the UK if supplies inside the bloc fall short or delivery times are too slow.
Brussels already agreed to open procurement contracts to British companies – a shift pushed by Germany and the Netherlands, despite resistance from France.
The initiative is shaping up as a key deliverable ahead of an EU-UK summit later this summer, part of a broader reset in relations nearly a decade after Brexit.
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