UK explores 'defence bank' for Northern Europe

The United Kingdom is exploring plans to create a UK-led 'defence bank' to help rearm its Northern European allies against Russia, according to The Telegraph. The proposed financial mechanism would fund the Joint Expeditionary Force, a coalition of 10 Northern European NATO countries, to enable cheaper borrowing for joint weapons projects. The stated priority is to deter Russian aggression in the High North, the North Atlantic, and the Baltic Sea. Britain's First Sea Lord, Admiral Gwyn Jenkins, has separately argued for moving beyond a simple coalition to a permanent joint force capable of countering threats from Moscow.