A UK-France defence partnership to shore up support for Ukraine is being stalled over fishing rights, the EU's foreign affairs chief has said.
French and British military chiefs have been thrashing out plans for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine if a potential peace deal with Russia comes to pass - but once again, France has demanded access to UK waters.
Since Labour's General Election victory last summer, the Government has talked up a "relations reset" with the EU - with a post-Brexit trade deal potentially on the table.
But Brussels has repeatedly called for "the maintenance of the status quo" to permit access for European boats in British waters.
French and British military chiefs have been thrashing out plans for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine if a potential peace deal with Russia comes to pass
PA
Several EU countries are dissatisfied with the current fishing arrangement and are urging the bloc's chiefs to pressure Britain into granting permanent access to their trawlers.
That forced Fisheries Minister Daniel Zeichner to vow to MPs late last month: "Other countries are clearly pushing very hard, and we will push equally hard for our sector."
But today, the EU's Kaja Kallas admitted that the French were holding things up - she said: "I'm surprised how important the fish are given the security situation."
MORE FROM THE EU:
Several EU countries are dissatisfied with the current fishing arrangement and are urging the bloc's chiefs to pressure Britain
PA
Alongside France, Sweden's EU affairs minister Jessica Rosencrantz warned of how fisheries could obstruct a crucial defence pact two weeks before Kaja Kallas's remarks today.
"Just to be clear, I think it's really important that the EU and UK work together on defense and security," Rosencrantz told Politico.
"Obviously, there are other sensitive issues as well for many member states which also need to be resolved - fisheries being one."
Asked whether it would be possible to complete a defence pact first and then sort out fishing later, she said: "I think we have to find a way where we can do both because we want to move ahead with the defence partnership - but for many countries it's important to solve the other sensitive issues as well.
"And therefore I think it will be important to take steps also when it comes to fisheries and other topics."
PICTURED: John Healey greets Kaja Kallas in Brussels
REUTERS
But regardless of the fishing head-to-head, Nato allies pledged almost £20billion in new military aid to Ukraine, Defence Secretary John Healey said after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels today.
In a speech alongside his German and Ukrainian counterparts, Healey slated Vladimir Putin for "dragging his feet and delaying" despite the Russian premier's claims of wanting peace.
From January to March, Russia launched 10,000 glide bombs, alongside 100 drones every day.
Now, up to 80 per cent of battlefield casualties are inflicted by drones, Healey said.
As a result, now is the moment for defence industries, militaries and governments to step up - and send "a signal to Putin but a message to Ukraine", he added.
