As new political leadership took office in the UK and the EU last year, both sides committed to a “reset” in their relationship after Brexit. More than six months on, the political climate has warmed, but the reset remains largely rhetorical, raising concerns that it may devolve into a symbolic exercise. Meanwhile, the global strategic landscape is shifting rapidly, with Donald Trump’s second term as US President underscoring the urgency of closer EU-UK cooperation to protect the integrity of the Western alliance. The inaugural EU-UK political summit in the first half of 2025 is the opportunity to outline a joint policy agenda and define concrete next steps.
Three immediate actions should be prioritised for the summit:
- Agree on a renewed Joint Political Declaration to define shared priorities and establish a roadmap for policy negotiations;
- Launch a new comprehensive Security and Defence Partnership to deepen cooperation on security, defence and foreign policy;
- Establish an Economic Security and Resilience Dialogue to improve coordination on shared geoeconomic threats.
