UK and Germany ratify Kensington Treaty and announce new cooperation after Berlin meeting
Andy Burnham and Friedrich Merz agreed measures on hybrid threats, industrial technology, space and quantum research. Other defence and migration proposals remain under discussion.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz finalised ratification of the Kensington Treaty in Berlin on 8 October 2026 and announced plans for closer cooperation on security, technology and research. The agreements set out work for officials and businesses in both countries, while leaving several timetables and practical outcomes open.
The leaders completed ratification through an official exchange of documents, according to their joint statement. The treaty was signed in London in July 2025 and covers a broad range of UK-German cooperation. Euronews described Thursday’s meeting as Burnham’s first official visit to Germany, with cybersecurity and threats attributed to Russia among the subjects on the agenda.
How the UK and Germany plan to address hybrid threats
The governments announced a partnership to prepare for and respond to hybrid threats. Their joint statement says the work will seek to strengthen societal resilience, protect critical national infrastructure and improve their ability to monitor and counter such activity. The UK readout also says the leaders welcomed closer information sharing, contingency planning and crisis response.
Euronews reported that the partnership would involve sharing information and coordinating action to monitor and disrupt threats. It quoted Burnham saying Britain and Germany would work to ‘find, expose and disrupt’ hostile activity. Those are stated aims; the available announcements do not report results from the new partnership.
The meeting followed an August drone incident at Leipzig/Halle airport, which Euronews said Berlin had accused Russia of orchestrating. That account identifies the accusation but does not independently establish responsibility. The UK readout says Burnham expressed solidarity with Germany after what it called an attempted Russian drone attack at the airport, and that both leaders wanted a collective European response to hybrid threats.
Industrial technology and quantum research commitments
The countries agreed to develop an Industrial Tech Corridor intended to connect AI and other critical-technology start-ups seeking to scale with industrial demand. The initial focus will be AI and high-value industrial applications, the joint statement says. A first roundtable bringing together selected company executives, AI businesses and senior officials is planned for later this autumn; the statement gives no precise date.
The joint statement also says funding for bilateral quantum-technology research and development will rise to a total of €19.5 million. Additional grants are intended to support five selected projects, bringing the number of funded projects to 10. It does not specify when the additional money will be distributed or how much each project will receive.
Burnham and Merz convened senior business leaders for a Regional Growth Forum focused on cooperation between business and government, regional growth and innovation. Their governments agreed to develop a further Regional Dialogue involving local and regional stakeholders in 2027. The statement describes that dialogue as a next step, without identifying participants or a date.
Space, Ukraine and defence discussions
The two governments intend to deepen cooperation across civil, commercial, security and defence uses of space. They plan to work towards a memorandum of understanding at UK-German government consultations in early 2027. The joint statement also calls for immediate cooperation on launches and reliable access to space, including SaxaVord Spaceport. It does not say that the proposed memorandum has already been signed.
The UK account of the meeting says the leaders reaffirmed support for Ukraine, discussed efforts towards a lasting peace and agreed on the need to maintain pressure on Russia over the winter. These are positions recorded in the readout; it gives no new operational measures arising from that discussion.
The leaders also discussed possible German participation in the Global Combat Air Programme, which the readout describes as a project to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter. They asked their teams to engage further. The readout does not say Germany has joined the programme or provide a timetable for a decision.
Migration and the next UK-German meetings
On migration, the UK readout says the leaders agreed that close cooperation was needed against smuggling gangs. Burnham thanked German law enforcement for its efforts and the leaders welcomed a recent meeting between the UK home secretary and German interior minister. They agreed to continue talks on deeper collaboration; the readout sets out no new operational arrangement.
Burnham also argued for a more ambitious UK-EU partnership and stressed the importance of a UK-EU summit this year, according to the readout. The leaders said their teams would pursue the priorities discussed in Berlin and looked ahead to joint cabinet consultations next year. The announced roundtable, dialogue and consultations provide the next stated opportunities to see how the agreements develop.
Sources and context
- Joint UK-Germany Statement - Berlin, 8 October 2026Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street and Andy Burnham MP (GOV.UK)
- UK PM Burnham in Berlin: Russian threats and EU ties top agenda in first Germany visitEuronews
- PM meeting with Chancellor Merz of Germany: 8 October 2026Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street and Andy Burnham MP (GOV.UK)
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