Boris Johnson says Britain won’t ‘stand in the way’ of EU army in bid to win over Brussels in Brexit talks
BORIS Johnson dropped Britain’s long-standing efforts to stop an EU army - in a bid to curry favour with Brussels ahead of crunch Brexit talks.
In a major shift in stance the Foreign Secretary said Britain will “not stand in their way” as he met his European counterparts for a summit in Brussels to discuss plans to build a HQ in the Belgian capital for EU military training missions overseas.
Aides said Mr Johnson made clear the UK is “not a fan of anything that goes onto look like an EU army” and added: “Whatever happens, EU military cooperation cannot step on the toes of Nato.”
But sources conceded there was “only a certain amount we can do to hold things up” due to our decision to leave the EU. Instead Mr Johnson will focus his efforts on stopping the new military centre being called an “operational headquarters”.
He also used the summit with fellow EU foreign ministers to demand they match Britain’s commitment to spend at least 2 per cent of GDP on defence.
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Speaking as he arrived in Brussels yesterday Mr Johnson said: “We understand the vital importance to us all as European countries working together to strengthen our defences.
“We all want to see our European friends and partners spending more on defence. If they can get up to 2 per cent, that is terrific. We really want to encourage that as fast as possible.
“If they want to come together with other arrangements, we are not going to stand in their way. We are just working on some of the language to make sure that we get it totally right.”
Senior Tory Peter Bone blasted plans for an EU HQ and said it was “another clear indication of why it was right to get out of the EU”.
He said: “The truth is that Nato has kept the peace in Europe since the Second World War and there have always been people within the EU that want to set up a separate EU defence force, but it’s nonsense.
“It’s a complete waste of money and something we should have nothing to do with.”
The summit came as Emmanuel Macron used his first full day as French President to visit Angela Merkel in Berlin in a sign of the strong partnership he wants to strike with the powerful German Chancellor.
France and Germany are backing European Commission proposals for a European Defence Fund which have sparked concerns in the UK over the possible creation of an EU army.