UK and Germany launch joint-partnership to counter sabotage and cyber attacks
The UK and Germany announced a new partnership to counter hybrid threats including cyber attacks and sabotage, formalised through the 2025 Kensington Treaty.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham will travel to Berlin today for talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, marking a significant step in UK-Germany cooperation. The leaders will discuss joint efforts to strengthen resilience against hybrid threats, including cyber-attacks, sabotage, and interference targeting critical infrastructure. The partnership aims to disrupt hostile activities by sharing intelligence and coordinating responses across both countries. This initiative reflects a commitment to safeguard security and economic stability in Europe.
The new counter-hybrid threat partnership formalises collaboration between the UK and Germany, Europe’s two largest economies. Both nations will jointly identify, monitor, and disrupt hostile activities wherever they originate, with a focus on threats from adversaries such as Russia. The partnership will enhance resilience against cyber threats and attacks on infrastructure, businesses, and democratic processes. The leaders emphasised that such threats are immediate and require coordinated action.
During their meeting, Burnham and Merz will also address broader security challenges facing Europe, including support for Ukraine, instability in the Middle East, and disruptions to global trade routes. The discussions will explore how closer UK-Europe cooperation can strengthen security, protect economic resilience, and foster shared prosperity. The leaders will also review progress on the 2025 Kensington Treaty, which deepens collaboration in science, technology, defence, and security.
The leaders will convene a UK-Germany Regional Growth Forum, bringing together CEOs from both countries to discuss investment, industrial partnerships, and inclusive growth. The forum aims to ensure that economic benefits are distributed across communities in both nations. The measures announced today build on the formal ratification of the 2025 Kensington Treaty, which commits the UK and Germany to deeper bilateral cooperation.