UK should lead on new European Defence Alliance as US guarantees become less certain, says IPPR

• Defence cooperation offers the clearest route to successfully deepening ties with Europe  
• Europe needs a stronger defence backstop alongside NATO amid geopolitical instability, says IPPR
• Think tank calls for closer joint military procurement, and industrial coordination across the channel

The UK could play a central role in building a new European Defence Alliance as long-term US security guarantees become less certain, according to a new paper from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

The paper argues that Russia’s war in Ukraine, rising geopolitical instability and growing unpredictability in US foreign policy are forcing European countries to rethink how the continent defends itself.

While NATO remains the cornerstone of security, IPPR says Europe can no longer assume that existing arrangements alone will be sufficient to meet future threats.

Instead, the paper calls to create a European Defence Alliance – a new “security backstop” to complement NATO, capable of giving Europe greater resilience, coordination and strategic capability in a more unstable world.

The alliance could bring together Europe’s key security actors, including the “Group of Five” largest European defence spenders, to strengthen the continent’s ability to act if US support becomes less reliable.

IPPR argues that defence should be the starting point for a wider reset in UK–Europe relations. While cooperation in other areas of the relationship remains politically difficult in the post-Brexit context, defence offers a clear route to rebuilding trust and deepening ties, reflecting both shared security threats and Britain’s strengths as a leading military and intelligence power.

Ten years on from the Brexit referendum, the think tank says that this creates a major opportunity for a new phase in UK–European relations – one focused less on reopening old arguments and more on practical cooperation where mutual gains are greatest.

As one of Europe’s few countries with advanced military capabilities, global operational reach and a nuclear deterrent, the UK is uniquely placed to help shape a stronger European security framework.

The authors warn that without deeper coordination, fragmented defence planning, duplicated procurement and gaps in capability risk leaving Europe dangerously exposed in a more volatile geopolitical environment.

To strengthen Europe’s long-term security resilience, IPPR calls on the government to:

• Work more closely with European allies to jointly buy and build military equipment
• Deepen operational coordination with European partners to improve Europe’s ability to respond to future crises
• Secure a bigger role for UK defence firms in future European defence projects and supply chains

Mihir Sharma, principal research fellow at IPPR, said:

“The world that created NATO no longer exists in the same form. Europe faces a far more unstable security environment, alongside growing uncertainty about the long-term reliability of US support.

“That does not mean NATO is obsolete. But it does mean Europe needs a stronger security backstop, with greater capability and resilience to respond to future threats.”

Marley Morris, associate director for migration, trade and communities at IPPR, said:

“Defence should be the starting point for a wider UK–Europe reset. It is where Britain has the most to offer, and where deeper cooperation can deliver the greatest shared gains.

“Britain may be outside the EU, but it is not outside Europe. We share the same continent, face many of the same threats, and have a clear mutual interest in making Europe more secure, more resilient and better able to defend itself.”

ENDS

Mihir Sharma, the paper’s author, is available for interview  

CONTACT

Rosie Okumbe, digital and media officer: 07825 185421 r.okumbe@ippr.org  

NOTES TO EDITORS  

1. The IPPR paper, Defence and security: the Europe agenda, by Mihir Sharma and Marley Morris, will be available for download at:  http://www.ippr.org/articles/europe-agenda-defence-and-security  
2. Advance copies of the report are available under embargo on request
3. IPPR (the Institute for Public Policy Research) is the UK’s most influential think tank, with alumni in Downing Street, the cabinet and parliament. We are the practical ideas factory behind many of the current government’s flagship policies, including changes to fiscal rules, the creation of a National Wealth Fund, GB Energy, devolution, and reforms to the NHS. As an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society, we have spent almost 40 years creating tangible progressive change - turning bold ideas into common sense realities. www.ippr.org