The European Union and the United Kingdom concluded a Security and Defence Partnership at the first EU-UK Summit on 19 May, creating a structured framework for cooperation after years of post-Brexit distance.
The partnership is designed to support regular high-level dialogue, strategic consultations and joint initiatives. It may also allow the United Kingdom to participate in specific EU defence initiatives where both sides agree.
The agreement covers peacebuilding, CSDP crisis management, maritime and space security, cyber issues, hybrid threats, critical infrastructure resilience, foreign information manipulation, counterterrorism, climate-security links and external aspects of economic security and irregular migration.
High Representative Kaja Kallas presented the deal as a response to a more dangerous security environment and as proof that the EU and UK continue to share core assumptions on Ukraine, European security and collective defence cooperation.