UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is close to sealing a trade agreement with the EU that would open British arms firms to the €150 billion SAFE defense fund. The breakthrough follows UK concessions on fishing rights to smooth broader trade relations with Brussels. Starmer aims to solidify the deal at an EU-UK summit scheduled for May 19 in London. British defense companies like BAE Systems and Babcock have long been excluded from the fund due to the lack of a formal security pact. Meanwhile, France is pushing for European nations to prioritize EU-made defense systems over American alternatives like the F-35 and Patriot.
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