UK wants EU security council to complement NATO

Britain looks forward to hearing more detail about the proposed European Security Council while noting the importance of EU mechanisms complementing NATO structures, and will continue to deepen cooperation with the European Union in a way that reinforces NATO as the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security, according to answers given in Parliament.

James MacCleary, the Liberal Democrat member for Lewes, asked three separate questions on the subject, covering the assessment the department has made of the merits of establishing a European Security Council that includes the United Kingdom, the discussions the Secretary of State has had with Cabinet colleagues, and the discussions he has had with European counterparts.

Louise Sandher-Jones, the Minister for the Armed Forces, gave the same answer to all three: “Europe faces the most dangerous security environment since the Cold War, and we are stepping up alongside our allies to build a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.

“The EU’s State of Union address is a welcome contribution. We look forward to hearing more detail about the proposed European Security Council whilst noting the importance for EU mechanisms to complement NATO structures.

“The UK will continue to deepen our cooperation with the EU in a way which reinforces NATO as the cornerstone of Euro Atlantic Security, including through the implementation of the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership.”

Ursula von der Leyen set out the proposal in her State of the Union address in September, describing a forum that would bring the European Union together with the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway and Ukraine to coordinate against hybrid attacks and sabotage, and the idea has since been examined across Europe as either a new mechanism or a repackaging of the existing hybrid toolbox.

Britain has argued since leaving the European Union that new European defence machinery should not duplicate what the alliance already does, and should not create a decision-making layer that excludes the United States. Twenty-three EU members are also NATO members, and the two organisations already run parallel arrangements on crisis management.

The United Kingdom and the European Union signed a Security and Defence Partnership in 2025, which created a structured dialogue and opened the door to British participation in European defence industrial programmes.