Starmer’s spokesman said recent visits by Merz and Emmanuel Macron reflected the efforts by the U.K. prime minister to reset relations across Europe, including closer ties with both France and Germany.
As part of the accord, Britain and Germany will enter into a mutual assistance arrangement for the first time, declaring they are “convinced that there is no strategic threat to one which would not be a strategic threat to the other.”
While both sides are keen to stress that NATO remains their primary security alliance, the move underlines a shared determination between Merz and Starmer to strengthen Europe’s defenses.
Defense trade barriers between the U.K. and Germany will also be eased under the treaty, which lays the groundwork for tackling hybrid threats such as attacks on infrastructure and malicious cyber activity.
Alongside the agreement signed Thursday, the two sides announced they would launch joint export campaigns and work together on a new long-range missile system.
Frequent travelers to Germany from the U.K. will meanwhile gain access to e-gates in a pilot program ahead of a wider rollout which will take place after the German authorities complete technical changes.