German Defense Minister wants British to have access to EU defense funds after Brexit

According to Federal
Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Britain should also have access to
EU defense funds after Brexit.
"We are now
clarifying how Britain can be involved in joint security projects and the
European Defense Fund," said the CDU leader in a Reuter’s interview
published on Thursday with a view to the negotiations on future relations
between the EU and the Kingdom.
"I think that the
country has to be treated differently from a third country that is neither a
member of the EU nor NATO," emphasized Kramp-Karrenbauer. Access to the
multi-billion dollar defense fund is controversial in the EU because Britain
could then receive EU money for joint arms projects.
It is basically agreed
that the kingdom can remain in EU missions even after Brexit, but give up
command - like the mission in the Horn of Africa to Spain."
Kramp-Karrenbauer also
wants to involve the NATO partner through the so-called E-3 format - Germany,
France, and Great Britain - that arose in the Iran negotiations. "We could
also open the format to other countries, such as Italy on Libya." She does
not see that the government in London could use security cooperation as
leverage to make concessions in the trade area. Great cooperation is also good
for Great Britain, she said.