Louise Sandher-Jones, Minister for the Armed Forces, has said Britain’s contribution agreement for the EU’s Ukraine Support Loan will stay unpublished because releasing it unilaterally could undermine relations with the EU, according to an answer given in Parliament.
Mike Wood, the Conservative MP for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire, asked why the agreement is commercially confidential. Sandher-Jones said:
“The Contribution Agreement is a contract between the EU and the Secretary of State for Defence. It is sensitive because it sets out the rights and obligations of both parties and any release solely by the UK could undermine our relationship with the EU. The Government does not routinely publish contracts of this nature.”
Britain joined the €90 billion loan in July, allowing Ukraine to use it to buy weapons and ammunition from British firms, and EU countries approved UK participation on 22 July. A joint statement said Britain would make a “fair and proportionate contribution to the costs arising from borrowing”, tied to the value of contracts awarded to UK companies, and Euronews reported that the contribution would come from a share of about €3 billion in annual interest costs.
The loan covers Ukraine’s needs for 2026 and 2027, and Ukraine repays it only if Russia agrees to pay war reparations.
