Negotiations on UK joining EU defence fund fail

TALKS on the UK joining the European Union's flagship £130 billion defence fund have failed.

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Negotiations foundered over how much the UK should pay to participate in the EU's Security Action for Europe (Safe) rearmament fund.

Reports suggested the UK rejected French demands to pay up to £5 billion to participate in the scheme.

Minister for European Union relations Nick Thomas-Symonds, pictured below, said it was “disappointing” but the UK was focused on obtaining “value for money”.

And the Cabinet Office said British firms would still be able to take part in the scheme “on third country terms”.