UK and German Leaders Meet in Berlin: Deeper Defence and Intelligence Ties, Talks on Sixth-Generation Jet
On October 8, 2026, the British Prime Minister met Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. According to the UK government's readout issued that day, the leaders welcomed the strength of the UK-Germany partnership under the Kensington Treaty and agreed to set a high level of ambition for its next phase. The Prime Minister expressed solidarity with Germany following the attempted Russian drone attack at Leipzig airport, and the leaders agreed on the need for a strong, collective European response to Russia's hybrid threats.
The readout said the two countries will deepen information sharing, contingency planning and crisis response through a new partnership, and work together against the malicious misinformation threatening the resilience of Europe's democracies. Both leaders reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine, discussed efforts to secure a just and lasting peace, and agreed on the need to keep up pressure on Russia this winter.
On defence industry, they spoke about the prospect of German participation in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter jet, agreed that closer collaboration serves both countries and their allies, and tasked their teams to engage further. On migration, they agreed close cooperation is essential to tackling illegal migration and the criminal gangs behind it; the Prime Minister thanked German law enforcement for cracking down on smuggling gangs, and both welcomed the Home Secretary's recent meeting with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
The meeting formed part of Britain's reset with Europe and Germany's push to anchor European security. Against the backdrop of Russian hybrid attacks and uncertainty over U.S. policy, London and Berlin are bundling intelligence, defence industry and migration enforcement into a single partnership agenda whose follow-through will shape Europe's defence landscape.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 柏林国会大厦（德国联邦议院所在地）。摄影：Dennis G. Jarvis，CC BY-SA 2.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
