Britain set to enter talks on joining EU’s £78bn Ukraine loan in bid to deepen defence ties with bloc

Britain is set to enter talks on joining the EU's £78billion Ukraine loan in a bid to deepen defence ties with the bloc.

The thinking is that this will help Ukraine, bolster British and EU defence co-operation, and bring jobs and investment to the UK.

Sir Keir Starmer is in Armenia this Bank Holiday weekend, becoming only the second British PM - after Margaret Thatcher in 1991 - ever to visit.

He said: “When the UK and the European Union work together, we all reap the benefits — and in these volatile times we need to go further and faster on defence to keep people safe."

He added: “I will always act in our national interest: protecting our security, supporting our allies, and delivering jobs and stability at home.”

He and dozens of European leaders (and Canadian PM Mark Carney) have descended on Armenia’s capital Yerevan for this spring’s European Political Community Summit.

Sir Keir's first stop on arrival on Sunday afternoon was for a meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky.

The PM reiterated the UK’s support for Ukraine, while Mr Zelensky highlighted how Britain had led the European response from the beginning of the war.

The Ukrainian leader said his country was especially grateful for the “strong words” of support from King Charles during his visit to the US.

The Prime Minister said his focus is on the wars on two fronts affecting all of Britons at home: in Ukraine and Iran.

Following the meeting with Mr Zelensky, Sir Keir attended a leaders’ dinner with, amongst others, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian PM Georgia Meloni, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

The European Politcal Community is the brainchild of French President Macron, and meets twice a year to discuss shared interests and challenges facing all countries in Europe, not just those in the European Union.

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The last meeting took place in Copenhagen in October and saw Sir Keir leave as the news of the Manchester synagogue terror attack broke.

At that meeting, Donald Tusk, Poland’s PM warned “it’s war” as Europe faced increasing hybrid attacks from Russia.

As Europe rearms with increasing urgency (in countries close to Russia, less so in those further away), leaders are now pondering the consequences of President’s Trump announcement that the US is to start withdrawing troops from German military bases.

And since leaders met in Copenhagen we have had threats to Greenland and a conflict in Iran which is sending bills soaring and may scupper many summer holiday plans.

Though Donald Trump has been quick to criticise European leaders for sitting on the sidelines in this conflict, Britain and France have spearheaded the Strait of Hormuz Maritime Freedom of Navigation Initiative.

First meeting was held in Paris last month and with parallels to the Coalition of the Willing plan for Ukraine, also led by Britain and France, the aim is to help de-mine the Strait of Hormuz and re-open it to shipping at the point when the war ends, or both sides are willing to see it opened.

But as things stand, there is no sign of an immediate end to either war.