Five years after Brexit: prospects for strategic cooperation between the European Union and the United Kingdom
Five years after Brexit: prospects for strategic cooperation between the European Union and the United Kingdom

Summary/Abstract: Five years following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, the relationship between two actors has stabilised into a form of strategic coexistence, which is both pragmatic and asymmetrical. This article presents an analysis of the evolution of the EU-UK partnership between 2019 and 2025, examining to what extent it has acquired a strategic dimension. The hypothesis tested in this study posits that the relationship was not perceived as strategic during the withdrawal and early post-Brexit phases. However, the article explores an evolution of this perception under the pressure of geopolitical developments of the last years. The author employs a framework of strategic analysis that integrates institutional, political, and security dimensions. The study posits that the 2025 EU-UK Security and Defence Partnership is indicative of a pragmatic re-engagement, rooted in a recognition of shared vulnerabilities. The findings demonstrate that while the 2020 Trade and Cooperation Agreement institutionalised separation, subsequent crises compelled both actors to rediscover their functional interdependence. The analysis integrates document and discourse-based evidence from EU and UK official sources, complemented by academic and analytical literature. The present paper contributes to the understanding of the EU-UK relationship by situating it within the broader transformation of European security. This, in turn, enables a more profound understanding of post-membership strategic partnerships and Europe's capacity for adaptive cooperation in a multipolar order.

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