The United Kingdom and Germany signed a wide-ranging Friendship and Cooperation Treaty in London on 17 July, pledging to assist one another in the event of an armed attack and to deepen collaboration across defence, migration, trade and transport. The accord, informally dubbed the Kensington Treaty, is the first comprehensive bilateral pact between the two nations since 1945. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Friedrich Merz formalised the deal at the Victoria & Albert Museum, positioning it as a complement to NATO’s collective-defence guarantees amid heightened concern over Russia and doubts about future U.S. security commitments. Officials emphasised that the treaty does not replace NATO’s Article 5 but reinforces it through bilateral mechanisms. Defence cooperation is at the core of the agreement. London and Berlin will pursue joint export campaigns for equipment such as Typhoon Eurofighter jets and Boxer armoured vehicles and aim to field a Deep Precision Strike missile system with a range exceeding 2,000 kilometres by the mid-2030s. As part of more than £200 million in accompanying commercial commitments, German defence-tech firm Stark will build its first overseas plant in Swindon, creating over 600 skilled jobs. On migration, Germany will make it a criminal offence to facilitate illegal crossings to the UK by the end of 2025, enabling police to seize boats and equipment used by smuggling gangs. The treaty also establishes a taskforce to explore a direct passenger rail connection between the two countries and will allow frequent UK travellers to use German airport e-gates from late August, with full access planned after the EU’s new Entry/Exit System is introduced. Diplomats see the pact, together with recent Anglo-French initiatives, as part of a broader reset in UK–EU relations after Brexit and a signal of Europe’s determination to strengthen its own security architecture.