Talks over UK joining EU defence fund break down over entry fee
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Posted by SojournerInThisVale
17 Comments
This has made us all weaker. But to quote one EU diplomat angrily speaking to the Financial Times, the figure demanded from the UK was ‘completely and utterly ridiculous’.
*(edit)* to clarify because people seemingly keep misreading this, it was the number the EU Commission demanded the UK pay to the EU which was ridiculous.
Can’t we just sign up for a free 30 day trial before a war, then cancel at the end?
You know how we could’ve avoided paying this entry fee..?
Although disappointing, the situation makes sense. The fund covers both procurement activities and the development of internal defense capabilities. And UK decided to be out not in.
So EU countries have two pots of money, X which is their regular military budget that they can spend however they want, and Y which is borrowing from this scheme that has strings attached. They were going to do a certain amount of spending from X anyway which would qualify for pot Y. Is there anything to stop them allocating from X to Y any spending which qualifies for Y and increasing spending with British companies that’s only possible because of the new pot Y but allocating it to X?
>The lack of agreement limits the total value of any weapons or parts that UK-based firms will be able to contribute to projects.
You would think that EU nations would be allowed to just buy the best available? It is bizarre that with a conflict on their doorstep, they are still putting a cash-grab and bureaucracy above defence. Have they learned nothing from the past few years?
Call their bluff? Say UK will defend its own shores and nothing more. Yes the Irish Republic would have to monitor its own airspace finally.
Honestly, the EU fucking sucks. Still buying russian oil and gas while moaning about US uselessness.
The whole EU system is a bunch of broken diplomats looking to fuck each other over.
“There will be no downside to Brexit at all ” – David Davis.
Where’s all those people who were in the thread yesterday saying how the the EU is a reasonable partner and they’d clearly negotiate a re-entry in good faith?
We see over and over again how the EU is not a reasonable partner, it does not negotiate in good faith, even when there is an obvious mutually beneficial outcome. Indeed, this partnership *even with no fee at all* would benefit them more than us, as we’re a large arms producer with a high quality military. And the EU really needs to strengthen its military at the moment, with a real threat from Russia and the withdrawal of the US umbrella – yet they *still* can’t manage to negotiate like adults.
Maybe the UK could threaten to stop de-facto defending Ireland’s waters and airspace and have the EU do it.
If Ireland doesn’t want to be in NATO and doesn’t want to spend anything on defence, the EU can pick up the tab instead.
It’s quite simple – Free entry or we’ll refuse to enter any land war in Europe.
I don’t know why we behave as if we hold none of the cards as the big wotsit puts it.
Genuinely silly from the Europeans
When the (strongest/second strongest after France/joint strongest with France, depending on your perspective) military in your region asks to join your defence group, you don’t charge them a fee to sign up
Especially when they’re basically the least directly threatened by the only likely enemy who would have to fight through the rest of you to get to them
What is the logic of charging a fee for participation? Surely there safety in numbers?
This situation is 100% France, and everyone knows it.
Amazing! While the usual diners squabble over who’s not paying their share of the bill, Putin is sitting there laughing and assembling his armoury. European “Union” my arse 😑
Treaties caused WW1 and WW2. Perhaps there should be a referendum before joining this?