RUSI holds Franco-British dialogue on Refreshing the Lancaster House Treaties

7 Mar 2025 02:33 PM

At a critical moment for European security, ministers addressed a UK-France Defence and Security meeting at RUSI

RUSI, in partnership with Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri), Airbus, BAE Systems, MBDA and Thales, jointly organised a dialogue on ‘Refreshing the Lancaster House Treaties’ which was addressed by the UK’s Minister for the Armed Forces and Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry.

On 2 March, the European security summit in London presented an emerging Franco-British plan for a ‘reassurance’ force in Ukraine to enforce a negotiated ceasefire. While we do not yet know the requirements of the mission, it is clear that a UK-France core will be essential for a European ‘coalition of the willing’ being ready to deploy forces to Ukraine.

On 4-5 March, RUSI hosted a UK-France defence and security dialogue, attended by representatives from the respective Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, alongside British and French experts from RUSI and Ifri.

Discussions focussed on policy and strategy, capabilities and industrial cooperation, strategic stability and deterrence, and were designed to support the bilateral work ahead of the planned summit and refresh of the Lancaster House Treaties in June 2025.

On the refresh of the Lancaster House Treaties this year, Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Armed Forces, said:

As we meet today, it is not just Ukraine’s future that is in the balance. So too is the future of European security. And our shared call-to-arms, for Europe to step-up, must also apply to our own cooperation. Because if we are to reestablish peace, deterrence, and security in Europe, Europe’s two most powerful military allies will need to play a defining role.

Luke Pollard MP, Minister for the Armed Forces

On enhancing UK-France defence industrial cooperation, Maria Eagle MP, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, said:

If we are to re-establish security across the European continent and dissuade Putin from coming back again to invade one of his sovereign neighbours we need to use our Summit in June to broaden our defence industrial collaboration beyond complex weapons. Putting something of an ‘Entente Industrielle’ at the heart to the UK-France Defence partnership that delivers more from our existing programmes that intensifies our cooperation in the most decisive domains and capabilities - including space, AI, and defeating hybrid grey-zone warfare and provides leadership to European Partners, including within NATO.

Maria Eagle MP, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry