Alright, so like, Britain is supposed to have access to the EU’s rearmament fund before the year ends, but apparently, some EU countries are still salty about Brexit. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, spilled the tea to Sky News’ Beth Rigby, saying that they still need to figure out the nitty-gritty details of the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) fund. This SAFE fund is like a massive €150bn pot of gold (£126bn) that gives loans to EU nations and other peeps to pump up their defenses.
Sir Keir Starmer recently made a deal with the EU that allows the UK to get in on the action. When asked when this might happen, Ms. Kallas was like, “Chill, the SAFE instrument just got sorted between the bigwigs, but it still needs a thumbs up from the European Council. Once that’s done, we can start rolling out the red carpet for the UK, and that should happen in the next few months.” So, like, stay tuned for that.
But hold up, some EU countries are side-eying the UK and think there should be a cap on what they can get their hands on. France, in particular, is pushing to lock the UK out of a whopping 85% of the fund. Ouch. When asked about this, Kallas was all like, “Yeah, Brexit left a bad taste in our mouths, so some countries are giving the UK major side-eye. You wanted out, now deal with the consequences, honey.” Sounds like some serious drama going on behind closed doors.
Now, let’s talk numbers. Kallas thinks that both investing more in European industry and working with outside partners like the UK are important. According to her, it’s not about the specific percentage the UK can access but more about their capabilities. So, like, let’s focus on the bigger picture, shall we?
On another note, Chancellor Rachel Reeves spilled the tea to the BBC, boasting about how the UK is killing it in the trade game. She mentioned that under Labour’s reign, the UK has scored some sweet deals with the US, the EU, and India. Basically, Britain is the place to be for all things trade and investment. The UK government is hyped about accessing the SAFE fund because it’s supposed to create a bunch of jobs.
Defense is just one piece of the puzzle in the new UK-EU trade deal. Sir Keir Starmer finally struck a deal with the EU five years post-Brexit, and it involves giving European fishing boats more access to British waters. In return, Brits get easier travel to Europe, less paperwork for food and drink imports, and more access to EU eGates. It’s like a give and take situation, ya know?
So, all in all, it’s a wild ride in the world of EU-UK relations. Drama, deals, and euros flying left and right. Stay tuned for more updates on whether the UK gets a piece of that SAFE fund pie or not. Exciting times ahead, folks!
