The United Kingdom has signed a defense contract with an Anglo-American security firm Anduril UK to supply Ukraine’s military with advanced attack drones, strengthening Kyiv’s efforts to counter Russia’s aggression in the Black Sea. The agreement comes as U.K. hopes to reinforce U.K.-U.S. relations amid growing concerns over European security.
Defense Secretary John Healey visited Anduril, the firm supplying the drones, in Washington, D.C., ahead of his meeting today with Pete Hegseth, at the Pentagon.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is positioning Britain as a key ally between Washington and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, particularly following their tense exchange in the Oval Office last week.
Speaking to ITV News, Starmer was asked whether the United States would support the Ukraine peace plan being brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron—and, more critically, whether Russia would accept it.
“I know there’s great anxiety out there at the moment,” he admitted. “That makes the work that I’m doing all the more urgent, which is to get everybody onto the same page, to be clear that what we’re trying to achieve is lasting peace. To make sure that if we do get a peace and there’s a deal, that we’re prepared to defend the line on the deal, defend the deal, and that means ensuring there’s a security guarantee,” he said.
For Starmer, the challenge is twofold. On one hand, he wants to reassure British voters that increased defense spendingwill stimulate the U.K. economy—”more money in people’s pockets,” as his aides put it. On the other, he is sending a signal to Washington that Britain remains committed to European security, especially as the European Union seeks to strengthen its own defense capabilities.
special relationship
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