Germany, UK Sign Kensington Treaty, Boosting European Defence Cooperation
In a significant step towards european defence cooperation, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed the Kensington Treaty in mid-July 2025. The treaty, focused on mutual defence and security, including collaboration on 'nuclear issues', builds on last year's UK-Germany Trinity House Agreement.
Merz's commitment to strengthening europa quickly has raised eyebrows, given Germany's continued purchases of major armaments from transatlantic partners. However, Germany's increased defence budgets and pledges of european countries solidarity suggest a shift towards self-sufficient defence. Almost half of the $137 billion spent on military equipment from 2020-2024 went to german companies, with Rheinmetall being a key beneficiary.
The European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA) project, launched in July 2024, unites several countries in europe, including Germany and Sweden, to develop purely-European deep precision strike capabilities. Merz's ambition to make the Bundeswehr 'the strongest conventional army in europe' and plans to more than double the annual defence budget within the next four years reflect this renewed enthusiasm for defence and european industrial sovereignty.
The Kensington Treaty, along with projects like ELSA, signals a significant step in european defence cooperation. However, Germany's continued transatlantic purchases for major armaments may pose a challenge to europe's goal of achieving independence from the US. Merz's vision for a stronger, more self-sufficient europe will require balancing these competing priorities.
