Britain and Germany look for swift defence deal with Starmer's 'reset'

Negotiators to begin six months of work on Anglo-German trade and security treaty

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Wednesday for talks that included the economy, defence and migration. Bloomberg

Britain and Germany are hoping to strike a defence deal within months as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer launches his European “reset” with trips to Berlin and Paris.

Mr Starmer met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with a message that Britain wants to “move beyond Brexit” with closer ties on business and security.

“We want to take this outstretched hand,” said Mr Scholz at the Chancellery in Berlin.

Diplomats have been given the responsibility of negotiating an Anglo-German treaty that will cover trade, security and energy, but is not expected to significantly relax migration rules.

Britain hopes a defence deal resembling the Lancaster House agreement between the UK and France will be signed as a first step this autumn.

The Anglo-French deal set up a 10,000-strong joint expeditionary force and provides for sharing of nuclear weapons expertise.

A UK-Germany pact would be created to “strengthen the links between our defence communities, industries and armed forces”, the sides said.

As part of the defence effort, Mr Starmer was expected to meet the chief executive of German defence giant Rheinmetall, which makes fighting vehicles for the British Army.

It is hoped closer ties will help strengthen the “European pillar” of Nato, said Mr Scholz, amid doubts over US assistance if Donald Trump returns to the White House after November's election.

Wider treaty talks on North Sea trade, clean energy, market access, technology and skills are expected to take about six months.

“Britain can advance its interests much more effectively when we work with friends and partners,” Mr Starmer said.

“This treaty is part of a wider reset, grounded in a new spirit of co-operation with our shared understanding that this will be developed at pace.”

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's ceremonial head of state, said the two countries were “opening a new chapter” as he greeted Mr Starmer in Berlin. The two men discussed Ukraine and the Middle East, a spokeswoman said.

Relations have warmed since the depths of the Brexit negotiating saga, and visits to Berlin and Hamburg by King Charles III last year won widespread praise.

“Given the common challenges our two countries face, we are convinced that the time has come to take our bilateral relations to the next level,” a joint statement said.

Migration caution

However, Germany is likely to be disappointed on migration after lobbying for relaxed visa rules for under-thirties.

Free movement between the two countries ended when the UK left the EU in 2020, when Britain also left the Erasmus exchange programme for students.

Berlin has proposed a new youth scheme but any migration deal risks wading into tricky political waters in Britain, where open borders were the main grievance leading to Brexit.

Mr Starmer promised during Labour's election-winning campaign that there would be “no return” to freedom of movement or the EU single market.

However, there is interest in working together against illegal migration as both governments try to quell populist discontent.

Mr Steinmeier and Mr Starmer discussed recent acts of violence in Southport and Solingen that stirred anger over migration, a spokeswoman for the German president said.

“We must turn a corner on Brexit and fix the broken relationships left behind by the previous government,” Mr Starmer said.

“Strengthening our relationship with these countries is crucial, not only in tackling the global problem of illegal migration, but also in boosting economic growth across the continent and crucially in the UK.”

After his German trip, Mr Starmer will travel to Paris for the opening ceremony of the Paralympics on Wednesday evening.

He is scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace on Thursday and have a breakfast meeting with French business leaders.