UK and Germany ratify Kensington Treaty and deepen security cooperation
The UK and Germany have ratified the Kensington Treaty, deepened security and defence cooperation, and discussed bringing the UK closer to the EU, with Germany offered a role in a fighter jet project.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The UK and Germany have ratified the Kensington Treaty, the first treaty between the two countries since the Second World War. The Prime Minister and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz exchanged ratified copies of the agreement in Berlin. It was agreed last year and covers cooperation across a wide range of areas, including defence and security.
The two leaders used the meeting to set out closer cooperation on security and defence. Downing Street said the UK and Germany would deepen efforts to tackle cyber attacks and sabotage, pointing to growing hybrid threats from Russia. The talks also covered shared security threats and how the two states can work together to protect their economies.
The Prime Minister offered Germany a role in the next generation fighter aircraft project that Britain is part of. The Chancellor accepted the offer and is looking into the question, according to the account given after the meeting. The move follows the collapse of a Franco-German plan earlier this year. Both sides said closer collaboration could bring defence job benefits to Germany and the UK.
The Prime Minister also used the visit to ask Chancellor Merz how the UK can get closer to the EU. He said closer relations meant deeper industrial collaboration on major issues such as quantum, space and AI. In Berlin, the German Chancellor did not answer when asked whether he wanted to see the UK rejoin the European Union. The visit underlined the unusual position of a post-Brexit UK strengthening bilateral ties while the question of its EU relationship still lingers.
The meeting was framed by both sides as a significant moment. The two leaders are relatively new in office: Merz became Chancellor last year and the Prime Minister has been in the job for less than three months, according to the coverage. Analysts said Germany was open to closer British ties and did not want to punish the UK for Brexit, especially given a more insecure world. Russia was described as one of the threats, while the UK was seen as a friend.
Security concerns beyond the bilateral meeting were also visible. The Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, announced new sanctions on Russia during a visit to Ukraine. He joined President Zelensky at the site of a Russian attack in Kramatorsk, in Ukraine's Donetsk region, where 18 people were wounded. The city's military administration accused Russia of cynically targeting civilians. The UK said it remained solidly behind Ukraine.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 3 channels | |||
| The prime minister confirmed he asked Chancellor Merz how the UK could get closer to the EU. | |||
| The UK and Germany ratified the Kensington Treaty, described as their first bilateral treaty since the Second World War. | |||
| Only on one channel | |||
| Andy Burnham signalled openness to Germany joining a multinational fighter jet programme after a Franco-German plan collapsed. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced new sanctions on Russia during a visit to Ukraine. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The UK offered Germany a role in the next-generation fighter aircraft project, and Chancellor Merz accepted and is considering the offer. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC focused on the practical meaning of the visit, including the treaty exchange and the fighter jet opening, while noting that the Brexit question still hangs over the meeting. Its correspondent stressed the irony of a stronger bilateral relationship in a post-Brexit world and the unanswered question on EU membership.
- “Downing Street says the UK and Germany will deepen efforts to tackle cyber attacks and sabotage in the face of what it describes as growing hybrid threats from Russia.”
- “Andy Burnham signalled an openness for Germany to potentially join a multinational fighter jet programme that Britain is currently a part of.”
- “I tried to chuck a question at Friedrich Merz to ask if you wanted to see the UK rejoin the European Union. I didn't get an answer.”
Sky led with the Prime Minister's stated aim to bring the UK closer to Europe and his direct comments after the Berlin meeting. It gave more space to the fighter jet offer, the treaty ratification and the economic and jobs case for closer defence collaboration, then turned to unrelated domestic political questions.
- “Closer means deeper industrial collaboration on the big issues like quantum, space, AI. Defence, that's what we've talked about today.”
- “I came with an offer for Germany to become part of the project around the next generation fighter aircraft, and the chancellor has accepted that offer and is looking into the question.”
- “And that very much is the spirit of the treaty that we've ratified today, the Kensington Treaty, the first treaty between Germany and the UK since the Second World War.”
5 framed the visit around the newness of both leaders and the wider European security picture. It linked the bilateral treaty to Russia's war in Ukraine and the Foreign Secretary's sanctions announcement, while also stressing German openness to closer ties with Britain.
- “Cooperation especially on security and defence, with the Prime Minister saying he's happy for Germany to join in developing a new fighter jet.”
- “The Prime Minister has opened the possibility at least of Britain rejoining the EU.”
- “There is a sense of what would the terms be. But there's at the same time not a feeling of we should punish the UK for them leaving.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.