European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Britain and the bloc should strengthen cooperation gradually, while warning that negotiations over a possible British return to the EU would be difficult. Her comments came as leaders prepare for a Nov. 20 summit in Brussels on ties after Britain’s withdrawal.
Kallas met UK Secretary of State for Defence Wes Streeting in Brussels on Nov. 2 for a security and defense dialogue announced by the European External Action Service (EEAS). Euronews reported that Kallas said Brexit still affected officials in Brussels and urged the sides to take cooperation in stages. “These negotiations will be difficult, and we are not there yet,” she said, according to Euronews. EFE reported that Streeting ruled out beginning re-entry negotiations at the briefing.
Streeting said Brexit had weakened the British economy, Euronews reported. He said the UK was not as strong economically as it might have been if it had remained in the bloc. The European Council has said the two sides’ security and prosperity are closely connected, giving them shared interests in cooperation as they manage their post-Brexit relationship.
European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are scheduled to host UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the Nov. 20 summit. The Council said leaders will consider how cooperation has developed since the sides met in London in 2025, then discuss defense, energy, farm and food rules, climate, migration and law enforcement. A joint declaration is expected.
Britain withdrew from the EU in 2020. The European Council says agreements including the Withdrawal Agreement and Trade and Cooperation Agreement govern the relationship. Burnham previously signaled openness to closer EU ties, including free movement. The Nov. 20 summit is the next scheduled high-level meeting between the sides.
