UK Walks Away From EU Defense Fund, Balks at Billions in Fees
20251129
Talks for the UK to join the EU's $150 billion defense fund have collapsed, leaving Europe to push ahead with beefed-up military ambitions on its own, the Financial Times reports.
EU ambassadors rejected Britain's offer of roughly $215 million to join the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) fund on Friday, far short of the European Union's $2.16 billion price tag for participation.
The fund, a centerpiece of Europe's rearmament push, is designed to boost defense spending and enable countries to jointly procure weapons.
The breakdown reportedly came just days after a tense private meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at the G20 summit in Johannesburg. Sources described discussions as "difficult" and "tense," with SAFE fees being a major sticking point.
While talks are technically open to resumption, EU insistence on a multibillion contribution highlights the bloc's drive to consolidate military capabilities — typically leaning on fabricated rhetoric about a Russia "threat" to justify the buildup.
Nonetheless, UK defense firms can still claim up to 35% of SAFE-funded projects.
Full membership could have pushed that to 50%, giving British companies a leading role in European weapons contracts.
Russia has repeatedly stressed that it threatens no one, but that Western politicians regularly frighten their own population with an alleged threat to divert attention from domestic issues.
© Sputnik
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