This moment of crisis demands closer UK-EU cooperation

Britain may have left the EU, but when it comes to keeping our continent safe, Europe cannot afford to be less than the sum of our parts.

David Lammy is U.K. secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs. Kaja Kallas is EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, and vice-president of the European Commission.

This is a once-in-a-generation moment for European security.

The post-Cold War peace dividend is well and truly over. With our security hanging in the balance, Europeans must now step up to take greater responsibility for the defense of our continent. The seriousness of the moment demands a new era in U.K.-EU security and defense cooperation.

Our starting point is a simple truth: European security is indivisible. The U.K. may no longer be a member of the EU, but when it comes to keeping our continent safe, Europe cannot afford to be less than the sum of our parts.

The past few weeks have brought this home. The U.K. and EU have come together in a moment of crisis. With a new government in Westminster and a new European Commission in Brussels, our cooperation has accelerated.

Last fall, David was the first British foreign secretary to have a dedicated exchange with his European counterparts at an EU Foreign Affairs Council since the U.K. left the EU. Today, Kaja is, in return, making the first bilateral visit by a high representative to London since Brexit.

Both of us have been involved in intense G7 dialog, meeting in Munich and Quebec. European Commission President von der Leyen and European Council President Costa attended the U.K.-hosted Lancaster House meeting earlier this month. Our consultations today will continue to build momentum as both sides prepare for the first U.K.-EU Summit on 19 May.

To respond to this moment we should go further. That means upgrading the EU-U.K. foreign policy and security relationship, so that we can maximize our impact in an uncertain world. Our shared values and interests make us natural strategic partners.

NATO is the cornerstone of collective defense in Europe. The EU’s financial weight and regulatory power, its security and defense instruments, as well as the defense capabilities of its member states make a crucial contribution to European security. The U.K. is a leading European defense actor with unique expertise and capabilities. Together we have a crucial role to play in safeguarding the security of our continent.

Our top priority must be to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. We need to deter the threat Russia poses to all of Europe. Aggressors can never be rewarded. No country should ever be tempted to invade its neighbors.

We need to accelerate our support for Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia. The cooperation between the U.K.-led Interflex and the EU military mission for Ukraine has already been instrumental, training more than 120,000  Ukrainian soldiers between them. 

In parallel, we must boost our defense spending and strengthen Europe’s defense industry. The EU’s landmark initiative – ReArm Europe – aims to mobilize around €800 billion for defense, while the U.K. has announced the biggest increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War, to reach 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027.

The threats we face go beyond the strictly military. This is an era of hybrid threats, with a barrage of fake news in our media and a surge in sabotage and malign hybrid attacks. Here too the EU and the U.K. share common interests that can easily be translated into more determined joint action.

More broadly, stronger U.K.-EU cooperation must continue to support multilateralism and the rules-based international order enshrined in the United Nations Charter. We must join efforts with other international partners in the pursuit of global goals, including addressing the challenges of climate change, fostering international development and protecting human rights. 

The EU and the U.K. are also engaged in bringing stability and prosperity to other parts of the world. Achieving a lasting and just peace in the Middle East and the stabilization of Syria cannot be postponed. Stability in the Sahel, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo is not just vital for the development of the African continent, it matters for Europe’s security too.  And within Europe we are undertaking vital work together beyond Ukraine, particularly supporting security and prosperity in the Western Balkans. 

Stronger U.K.-EU cooperation must recognize these realities.

In politics, moments of crisis can also open up opportunities. There is too much at stake for us to ignore the opportunity before us. In a world on fire, a new era in security and defense cooperation between the EU and U.K. is essential to keep our countries and people safe.