Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has privately asked senior ministers and officials to draw up plans for rebuilding the U.K.’s relations with the European Union after years of acrimony since Brexit.
Driven in part by the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, senior civil servants have been drafting proposals for how Britain can work more closely with EU nations across a range of policy areas. The work focuses on defense, migration, and so-called economic statecraft which includes issues such as trade, energy and international standards.
Sunak’s pivot toward the EU was described by ministers, diplomats and officials who asked not to be named discussing unpublished plans.