UK, Germany sign defense deal as Trump's potential return looms over Ukraine aid.

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The two largest European donors of military aid to Ukraine, Germany and the U.K., signed a defense pact on July 24 as London aims to "reset" security and defense ties with Europe. The agreement comes as the continent braces for Donald Trump's potential victory in the U.S. election and its repercussions for European security and support for Ukraine. On the campaign trail, Trump has repeatedly touted a plan to bring the war to an immediate end if he wins in November.

The plan reportedly involves ceding territory to Russia, though Trump has provided minimal details on the specifics of his proposal. Trump will run alongside his vice presidential running mate, Senator JD Vance, who is thought to be an even more outspoken opponent of U.S. support for Ukraine and has openly endorsed territorial concessions as part of a potential peace deal. As part of a 48-hour visit to Europe, including France, Poland, and Estonia, British Defense Secretary John Healey signed the pact with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius at the Bendlerbloc ministerial complex in Berlin, Politico reported.

Objectives set out in the joint declaration include strengthening the U.K. and German defense industries, reinforcing Euro-Atlantic security, improving the efficiency of joint operations, confronting evolving security challenges such as the cyber domain, and supporting Ukraine, according to the U.K. Defense Ministry. "These visits send a clear message that European security will be this government's first foreign and defense priority," Healey said during a press conference.

Pistorius echoed Healey's statement, adding that Berlin and London aim to strengthen the domestic arms industry by working more closely together in the development, production, and procurement of weapons and ammunition. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the U.K. and Germany are the two European countries providing Ukraine with the most military aid and the largest direct defense spending, with 74.9 billion euros (£81.1 billion) and 66.8 billion euros (£72.4 billion), respectively, in 2023. Healey has been defense minister for about three weeks following the Labour Party's victory in the July 5 elections, which ousted the Conservatives.

Less than 48 hours after Healey took his post, he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Odesa and announced a new package of defense aid on July 7. "There may have been a change in government, but the U.K. is united for Ukraine. As the new defense secretary, I will ensure that we reinvigorate Britain's support by stepping up supplies of vital military aid," Healey said in remarks posted on the U.K. government's website.

In late July, the U.K. and Ukraine also signed an agreement providing credit support for developing Ukraine's defense industry.

The text stipulates that British suppliers can conclude credit agreements and contracts with Ukraine for up to 2 billion pounds (£2.6 billion).

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