UK to Renew Bid for EU Defense Participation as Trump’s Geopolitical Moves Heighten European Anxiety

UK Prime Minister: "Europe Must Step Up... Renegotiation of Defense Agreement Needed"

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for a renegotiation of the defense agreement with the European Union (EU). Amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty caused by US President Donald Trump’s comments about annexing Greenland and threats to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) security alliance, a sense of crisis is mounting across Europe.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer interviewed in Cardiff, Wales. Wales, UK = AP Yonhap News

According to Bloomberg News on February 2, Prime Minister Starmer recently stated that the UK still hopes to join the EU’s core initiative-a defense fund worth 150 billion euros (approximately 258.126 trillion won).

As Europe seeks to rearm itself in response to Russia’s invasion, the UK aimed to participate in the first round of the ‘Security Action for Europe’ (SAFE) program, which provides funding for military equipment purchases. However, in November of last year, the EU rejected the UK’s request to allow British defense companies to benefit from this fund. According to Bloomberg, the European Commission demanded a membership fee of 6.75 billion euros from the UK, which the British government considered unacceptable.

The SAFE fund is composed of capital raised by the European Commission from credit markets and is loaned to member states over a period of 45 years. Member countries can use these funds to procure ammunition, drones, missiles, and other items needed for national defense. The British daily The Guardian analyzed that, due to President Trump’s lack of support and repeated threats to NATO, the need for increased funding in Europe has become even more urgent.

Prime Minister Starmer, who visited China and Japan last weekend, told reporters, “Whether it is SAFE or another plan, it makes perfect sense for the EU and other European countries to cooperate more closely,” adding, “I hope there will be some progress in this area.” He continued, “In terms of spending, capabilities, and cooperation, I believe we need to do more together. To achieve this, we need to look at programs like SAFE and see if there are ways to work more closely together.”

Starmer also stated, “It’s not just President Trump who thinks Europe needs to do more-other presidents feel the same way,” adding, “The UK agrees with this view, which is why we have pledged to increase our spending.”

These comments from Prime Minister Starmer come ahead of a series of meetings scheduled this week between senior UK and EU officials. On February 2 (local time), Maros Sefcovic, European Commissioner for Trade, is set to meet Nick Thomas-Symonds, the UK’s Minister for EU Relations, at the annual ‘EU-UK Partnership Council’ meeting in London. During their visit, Commissioner Sefcovic and Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for Economy, are also expected to meet with UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle.

The breakdown of the SAFE negotiations last year is seen as a significant blow to both sides’ efforts to ensure the credibility of European defense and to Prime Minister Starmer’s attempts to reset relations with the EU after Brexit (the UK’s withdrawal from the EU). Some EU member states, as Europe faces the threat from Russia and relations with the US become more distant, argue that the UK’s participation would benefit everyone and that the European Commission should offer the UK better terms.

Meanwhile, despite the failure to reach an agreement in November last year, the EU has indicated that further talks with the UK to find common ground are possible. Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for the European Commission, told reporters after the first round of negotiations failed, “We are always open to partners who share our values, especially the UK.”

If an agreement is reached, British defense companies will be able to bid for contracts funded by the SAFE program. Supporters of the UK’s participation argue that this would boost the British defense industry and help strengthen Europe’s military capabilities more rapidly, making it a mutually beneficial arrangement.