Can Britain afford to lead European defence? | FT
As Russia expands its campaign for hybrid warfare, what can Britain and Europe do to respond? Recorded onboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales docked in Oslo, host Lucy Fischer is joined by FT UK chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and defence correspondent Charles Clover.
Together, they assess Europe’s response to Moscow’s grey-zone tactics and the strategic role of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) – a grouping of northern European countries led by Britain including the Nordics, Baltics and the Netherlands. Is it a focused response to the threat of Russia in the north, or could it weaken the power of Nato?
And we hear from the secretary of state for defence, Wes Streeting, who told the FT this week that the UK and Russia need new back channels to avoid “miscalculation”. Plus, how does Britain balance its ambitious defence spending commitments against tight domestic budgets and political pressure?
This week’s episode is supported by Equinor. Everything we discuss is editorially independent.
Follow Lucy on X or Bluesky @LOS_Fisher, @lucyfisher.ft.com; Charles Clover on X
@charles_clover; Robert Shrimsley on X @robertshrimsley
Our email address is politicalfix@ft.com
Political Fix is presented by Lucy Fisher.
The executive producers are Manuela Saragosa & Kate Ford.
Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner.
On location filming and editing by Sam Osbourne.
The FT’s head of audio is Flo Phillips.
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