Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 2, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleGermany and the UK will sign a defence treaty with a mutual assistance clause, marking a shift in European defence cooperation.
BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany and Britain will sign a defence treaty which includes a mutual assistance clause in the event of a threat to either country on July 17, the Politico news outlet reported on Wednesday.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had made a joint declaration in August, promising closer cooperation on issues from trade to security.
The broad agreement is being finalised, according to Politico, and a key area is defence.
It will include a section stating that any strategic threat to one country would represent a threat to the other and the agreement is expected to be signed on July 17, it reported, citing two London-based officials.
Although both countries are committed to NATO, the defence agreement highlights a shift among European states, including Germany under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, to work more closely together and rely less on the U.S. under President Donald Trump.
Neither the German defence ministry nor the chancellor's office was immediately available for comment.
(Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Markus WacketWriting by Madeline ChambersEditing by Rachel More)
The defence treaty aims to establish a mutual assistance clause that would treat any strategic threat to one country as a threat to the other.
The agreement is expected to be signed on July 17, as reported by Politico.
The agreement highlights a shift among European states, including Germany, to work more closely together and rely on mutual support outside of NATO commitments.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a joint declaration in August to promote closer cooperation on various issues.
Neither the German defence ministry nor the chancellor's office was immediately available for comment regarding the defence treaty.
Explore more articles in the Headlines category
