UK Fails to Join €150 Bn EU Defence Scheme After Funding Row

Britain has failed to secure entry to the EU’s €150bn (£130bn) Security Action for Europe (Safe) defence programme after talks collapsed over cost.

The EU demanded up to €6.5bn (£5.7bn) for UK participation, while London offered a maximum of €300mln (£262mln). The scheme, a key part of Sir Keir Starmer’s post-Brexit «reset», would have allowed British defence firms to bid for preferential contracts.

«Negotiations were carried out in good faith, but we will only sign agreements that provide value for money,» said Nick Thomas-Symonds, the UK’s minister for EU relations.

As a result, British companies will miss the first funding round and instead compete on less favourable «third-country» terms, though both sides hope for a deal ahead of the second round.

Critics called the collapse a setback for the UK defence industry, while the government said it remains committed to broader security cooperation with Europe.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Uzbekistan’s international reserves have reached nearly $60 bn, with over 80% comprised of gold.