UK Opens Talks to Join €90B Ukraine Loan Scheme in EU Defense Shift – FT

The initiative is shaping up as a key deliverable ahead of an EU-UK summit later this summer, part of a broader reset in relations nearly a decade after Brexit. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen takes part in a panel discussion during the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) on February 14, 2026 in Munich, southern Germany. (Photo by Stefan Rousseau / POOL / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Britain will open formal talks on joining a €90 billion EU-backed loan program for Ukraine on Monday, as London moves to tighten defense ties with Europe amid mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to meet European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of a European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan, The Financial Times reported, citing people briefed on the preparations Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . The talks will focus on funding Ukraine’s war effort, with the UK seeking a role in covering interest costs on the massive loan scheme – a move aimed at securing access for British defense firms to lucrative contracts supplying Kyiv. “We need to go further and faster on defense,” Starmer said ahead of the meeting, stressing the need to ensure Ukraine has the equipment to “defend its freedom.” The EU plan earmarks €60 billion for weapons purchases and €30 billion for Ukraine’s budget needs. Kyiv would be allowed to buy arms from partners like the UK if supplies inside the bloc fall short or delivery times are too slow. Brussels already agreed to open procurement contracts to British companies – a shift pushed by Germany and the Netherlands, despite resistance from France. The initiative is shaping up as a key deliverable ahead of an EU-UK summit later this summer, part of a broader reset in relations nearly a decade after Brexit. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Strikes Russian Warships and Shadow Tanker in Primorsk Port President Zelensky confirmed a successful joint operation that disabled a Karakurt-class missile ship and a shadow fleet tanker in the Leningrad region. The push comes as Trump ramps up criticism of NATO and threatens new tariffs on allies, accelerating London’s pivot back toward European security cooperation. Britain is also expected to unveil fresh sanctions on Russian companies later this week, targeting those supporting Moscow’s war effort. Alongside defense, Starmer and von der Leyen will discuss steel industry coordination, startup funding, and a youth mobility scheme allowing young people to study and work across the UK and EU. Starmer’s trip marks the first visit by a British prime minister to Armenia since Margaret Thatcher traveled there in 1990. President Volodymyr  Zelensky also arrived in the Armenian  capital of Yerevan on Sunday, May 3, to participate in the  European Political Community (EPC) summit  scheduled for May 4. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.