Burnham meets Merz in Berlin

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Berlin on Thursday morning and was greeted with military honours at the Federal Chancellery for his first meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

New UK-Germany security partnership confirmed

The two leaders are expected to confirm a joint UK-Germany security partnership to counter sabotage, cyber attacks and other hybrid threats from adversaries, especially Russia, involving information sharing and coordinated action.

Burnham on threats to democracy

Burnham said attacks on infrastructure, businesses and democracies reach into people's homes and workplaces and are designed to make societies weaker and more divided. Britain and Germany are joining forces to disrupt this activity.

“Attacks on our infrastructure, our businesses and our democracies are not a distant threat.”

Kensington Treaty formally ratified

The Kensington Treaty, signed in July last year, will be formally ratified on Thursday, committing the two countries to deeper cooperation on science, technology, defence, security and growth.

German spy chief arrested for espionage

The visit comes amid an intelligence scandal in Germany. August Hanning, who headed the Federal Intelligence Service from nineteen ninety-eight to two thousand five, was arrested on suspicion of treasonous espionage and passing classified information to foreign intelligence services.

Russia blamed for Leipzig airport attack

Concerns about sabotage and hybrid threats are rising in both countries. Last month, Britain summoned a Russian diplomat to protest an attack at Leipzig airport in Germany, where drones carrying explosives were found near Ukrainian cargo planes in August.