Britain said Friday it was “disappointing” that talks with Brussels over joining a 150-billion-euro EU defence scheme collapsed due to disagreements over the entry fee.
European nations have been racing to strengthen their militaries since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In response, Brussels launched a major loan initiative earlier this year. The program is known as SAFE, or Security Action for Europe.
It is designed to help EU members boost their defence capabilities. Under the scheme, EU countries can access 150 billion euros in low-interest loans to support rearmament efforts. Britain reportedly balked at a requested contribution of up to 6.5 billion euros, even as major EU recipients like Poland, Romania, France, and Hungary secured substantial loan allocations.
PM Starmer