Source · Select Committees · National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
Recommendation 26
26
Accepted
As well as continuing its strategic collaboration with the United States where practical, the Government...
Recommendation
As well as continuing its strategic collaboration with the United States where practical, the Government must also develop a clear plan, along with other European allies, for a transition towards greater European leadership of NATO. Preparing for a ‘worst-case scenario’ whereby Europe can no longer rely on US support in the event of a crisis, the Government must work with European partners to invest in its own capabilities to offset this potential withdrawal. (Recommendation, Paragraph 119)
Government Response Summary
The government stated its commitment to interdependence and burden-sharing within NATO, detailing existing collaborations with European partners and investments in capabilities to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security and reduce overdependence on any single state.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The depth and breadth of the UK-US defence and security relationship delivers mutual benefits for both nations. As the Prime Minister said in his speech at the Munich Security Conference, the emphasis should be on interdependence and not overdependence. NATO members need to answer the call for more burden-sharing in Europe. The UK is playing a leading role, cooperating with NATO, the US, and European counterparts to strengthen Euro-Atlantic Security. This collaboration is being further reinforced through a series of bilateral treaties intended to reinforce our collective security and defence industrial partnerships, including the 2025 Lancaster House 2.0 Treaty with France, and the Kensington House Treaty with Germany. The US remains the UK’s most important defence and security ally. We are committed to a strong and enduring NATO alliance, which benefits the security and prosperity of all its members, including the United States. We are working closely with our allies to build a stronger, more capable European pillar within NATO, ensuring the alliance remains the bedrock of transatlantic security. This generational shift in defence investment and industrial cooperation is designed to strengthen NATO, and move away from overdependence on any one state. We are already enhancing nuclear cooperation with France, working with our Joint Expeditionary Force allies to protect our northern flank, and developing next generation long-range missiles in partnership with Germany, France and Italy. ‘NATO First’ does not mean ‘NATO only’ and we are deepening our alliances and partnerships across the world. Major capability programmes and industrial agreements like AUKUS, the Global Combat Air Programme, and the Defence Industrial Roadmap with India and our Strategic Partnership with Indonesia complement but are not tied to NATO. This means we are able to diversify our relationships and reduce our dependencies on any single state. To ensure that our alliances remain robust we are also increasing the sovereign strengths of the UK that underpin our national security, including the launch of a £500 million Sovereign AI Fund and a £1 billion programme to procure commercial-scale quantum computers.