Germany and the UK are close and longstanding Allies and
strategic partners in securing a peaceful, stable and secure
Europe. Our longstanding friendship is based on shared history,
common values, and mutual interest. We have a shared vision of
Euro-Atlantic security.
Euro-Atlantic security
In the face of the threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic
security, our ability to deter and defend must remain credible.
Our commitment to NATO and the security of all Allies is
unshakable.
To this end, it is important that we further strengthen the
European contributions to NATO, including in the area of
deterrence and through increased contributions and continued
investments. This includes our respective lead nation roles in
the Baltic countries. We will strengthen our presence also
through joint exercises. We remain jointly committed to NATO-EU
co-operation. For Germany, its membership of the European Union
remains a key reference point and it supports cooperation between
the EU and the UK.
We have agreed to deepen our immediate defence cooperation
including in the area of operational and industrial cooperation
and further advance our capabilities and the interoperability of
our armed forces.
Together Germany and the UK will jointly acquire, assess and
optimise the Remote Controlled Howitzer 155mm wheeled artillery
system (RCH 155). This will build on our wide-ranging existing
cooperation, including our ongoing cooperation on BOXER which we
will further develop.
We also intend to promote the Eurofighter/Typhoon aircraft,
including through jointly modernising our fleets and cooperating
on exports.
We will also develop our cooperation in Air Defence, including
through the European Sky Shield Initiative, the DIAMOND
Initiative, and through NATO Multi-National Procurement
Initiatives.
We have discussed efforts to strengthen the European defence
industrial base, to which Germany and the UK contribute
significantly, including through the framework of OCCAR. Germany
supports the UK joining the German-French-Spanish agreement on
export control.
We will coordinate our respective deployments and activities in
the Indo-Pacific, with our air forces conducting joint exercises
in the region later this year.
We have decided to establish a task force, reporting back by the
summer, to develop a structured and enhanced framework for our
bilateral security and defence cooperation. This will build on
our 2018 Joint Vision Statement, and existing cooperation across
Military, Industrial, Cyber, and Defence and Security policy.
Ukraine
Germany and the UK unequivocally condemn Russia's illegal
invasion of Ukraine and stand together by Ukraine's side. Our
common goal remains to ensure that Ukraine prevails against
Russia's aggression. We do not seek confrontation with Russia.
We are the two largest European providers of military support for
Ukraine. Together we are committed to continuing our unwavering
support to Ukraine for as long as it takes in order to help
Ukraine to defend itself.
Germany and the UK were two of the first countries to sign
long-term bilateral security agreements with Ukraine, delivering
on the commitment of G7 and further partners made in
Vilnius.
Our support is designed for the long term and based on Ukraine's
urgent as well as long term needs in the fields of security and
resilience. We advocate for a discussion with the aim of agreeing
among Allies and Partners on the level of military support to
Ukraine in relation to respective economic strength.
We welcome the decisions by the US Congress to support Ukraine
with over $60bn in additional assistance in 2024.
The focus of our immediate support lies on air defence, drones,
artillery, ammunition, fortifications and training. Today we have
agreed on coordinating and intensifying our efforts and
evaluating potential for joint projects including respective
training. In particular, we will cooperate on our support of
Ukrainian helicopters, including armament, maintenance and
training.
The UK and Germany will work together to maximize the effect of
the Immediate Action on Air Defence initiative and the
International Fund for Ukraine. We will seek to increase joint
ventures and investment in defence maintenance and production to
further strengthen Ukraine's military industrial base.
We are committed to working together and through the G7 to apply
significant pressure on Russian revenues from energy and other
sectors, enforcing sanctions, tackling sanctions evasion and
exploring options by which immobilized Russian sovereign assets
could be made use of to support Ukraine, consistent with our
respective legal systems and international law.
Energy Security
The UK and Germany have led the way on divesting Europe from
Russian hydrocarbons and in developing alternative sources of
supply.
Germany and the UK are close partners in fostering the energy
transition, industry and transport decarbonisation, renewable
energy, and hydrogen development, in particular from renewable
sources. Building on our energy and climate partnership we have
agreed on a feasibility study for H2 exports from the UK to
Germany.
We will cooperate to produce renewable energy from the North Sea,
including offshore wind and renewable hydrogen and we will take
necessary steps to secure our off-shore critical infrastructure.
