‘As real as it can get’: EU to loan €150bn for European defence from invasion

An artillery unit in Ukraine use an old towed howitzer, which was developed and widely used by the US during the second world war. Photograph: Maria Senovilla/EPA

Europe needs to be able to deter potential invaders by 2030, the EU executive has said as it launched a push to buy more weapons in the bloc and from allied countries, rather than from the US.

The UK, US and Turkey will be excluded from defence contracts funded by a €150bn (£125bn) EU loans programme, unless they sign a security and defence partnership agreement with the EU.