UK, Germany ink 'landmark defense agreement' to strengthen security, prosperity

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The British and German defense chiefs on Wednesday signed a historic defense treaty, named the Trinity House Agreement, that will strengthen security and grow economies.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius met in London to sign the agreement, bringing the two nations "closer together than ever before."

Speaking at a joint news conference, Healey praised the treaty which is the first-of-its-kind with Germany and stressed that strengthening collective security through NATO is the cornerstone for the defense of both nations.

The deal "secures defense co-operation across all domains, land, sea, air, cyber, space," said Healey, adding that it will be put on a legal footing in the wider treaty between the UK and Germany.

He noted that the agreement is a milestone moment in the UK's relationship with Germany and a major strengthening of Europe’s security.

For his part, Pistorius also praised the agreement, stating that it represents an opportunity for both the UK and Germany to come closer.

"That is a welcome thing in times like these, the face of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's policy of division and destruction. We are offering something else, solidarity and trust," he added.

With this agreement, both countries will further strengthen NATO's eastern flank by "further intensifying our cooperation" in the field, said Pistorius.

The German defense chief also noted that the Trinity House Agreement will be a part of an intergovernmental agreement between the two nations that is to be signed early next year.

Under the agreement, the German defense firm Rheinmetall will open a new factory in the UK to manufacture barrels for artillery guns, while the agreement will pave the way for both countries to work together to develop drones and a new long-range missile.

Separately, German maritime surveillance aircraft will also periodically fly patrols of the North Atlantic from Royal Air Force Lossiemouth in Scotland.

- 'North Korean troops highly likely deployed into Russia'

Asked about claims that North Korean troops were deployed to fight in Ukraine, the British defense secretary expressed "very serious concern" about the reports of this development.

"It looks highly likely that North Korean troops have been deployed into Russia," he said, but adding that it is "certainly not clear yet" that they have been deployed to the battlefront.

For his part, Pistorius also expressed concern about the development, mentioning that they are "checking the implications" with regard to international law at the moment.

"We don't even know whether we are talking about 1,500 or 12,000 or which kind of soldiers are coming to Russia and to fight," he added.

The German defense chief added: "It is a kind of escalation, and it shows us very important, very important aspect, international conflicts are approaching very rapidly."

In response to a question about European security in case of the possibility of Donald Trump as the new US president, Pistorius said: "Our responsibility in Europe is to strengthen the European pillar of NATO. This is what we should have done earlier ... but we did not."

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Tuesday that South Korea will send experts to brief NATO about the North Korean troops claim.

During a joint news conference with Rutte last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that 10,000 North Korean soldiers could join Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

He also said that according to Ukrainian intelligence, it has information that North Korea sent tactical personnel and officers to occupied Ukrainian territories.

The Ukrainian president's remarks came moments after Rutte said NATO has "no evidence that North Korean soldiers are involved in the fight."

South Korea on Friday also claimed that the North had sent 1,500 soldiers to Russia aboard navy ships on Oct. 8-13, to support Moscow in its ongoing war against Ukraine.

Most recently, the Ukrainian president claimed late Tuesday that North Korea is preparing two military brigades to support Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.