In an interview with El Pais published on Monday, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that the United Kingdom is aiming to deepen ties with the European Union in security matters.
"We are ready to negotiate a security and defence partnership agreement with the EU," the foreign secretary stated as he prepared to attend the G5 meeting in Spain later in the day. Lammy explained that London is working with European partners and NATO "to explore every opportunity to strengthen coordination between our military capabilities, including encouraging greater private sector investment in defence."
He stressed that although the UK is no longer a member of the EU, when it comes to the continent’s security, Europe "cannot afford to be less than the sum of its parts."