Davey on Macron state visit: not securing full access to European rearmament fund would be a “colossal failure”

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

In a meeting with Emmanuel Macron as part of the French President’s state visit to the UK, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey urged Starmer and the President to work with European partners to ensure the UK’s access to the European rearmament fund “without delay”. 

Today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey met with French President Emmanuel Macron during his state visit to the UK.

Meeting at Lancaster House ahead of the State Banquet, Davey and President Macron discussed the importance of strengthening defence and security ties between Britain and France to counter the threat posed by an imperial Putin..

Davey emphasised that the next best step which the UK, France and other international partners can take to “punish Putin” and support Ukraine would be to seize the $300bn of frozen Russian assets currently locked in bank deposit boxes across the G7.

Discussing the importance of strengthening our collective security, Davey also stressed the urgency with which the UK and EU must move to agree Britain’s access to the latter’s €150bn Security Action for Europe (SAFE) arms fund.

This would allow British defence manufacturers to more effectively contribute to a continental rearmament drive - allowing the UK to better support Ukraine, deter future attempts at illegal expansion by the Kremlin, and reduce its strategic dependence on the US.

Speaking after the meeting, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“It was good to discuss with President Macron the once-in-a-generation threat that Putin poses to Europe’s collective security – just as Trump tries to turn America back to isolationism.

“We must do more to punish Putin for his crimes and strengthen Ukraine’s hand to secure a just peace. I raised with President Macron the importance of working together to seize the frozen Russian assets held across our countries, and repurposing them for Ukraine’s defence.

“It’s also vital that our governments agree UK participation in the European rearmament fund without delay. Anything less than securing agreement on full British access would constitute a colossal failure which only benefits Putin.”

ENDS