Burnham’s first visit to Germany will focus on strengthening bilateral responses to a growing range of hybrid threats, Downing Street said. The trip, described by officials as a priority opportunity to deepen cooperation, is expected to centre on shared concerns about disruptive actions originating from Russia and their implications for European security.
The term “hybrid threats” encompasses a spectrum of non-conventional tactics that can target states’ political, economic and technological resilience. These include cyber intrusions against critical infrastructure, campaigns of disinformation aimed at public opinion, and activities that exploit legal or economic levers to exert pressure. Governments across Europe are increasingly treating these phenomena as core security challenges requiring coordinated responses.
Discussions in Berlin are set against a backdrop of closer collaboration between leading NATO and European Union partners on intelligence sharing and defensive measures. For the United Kingdom and Germany, officials see practical cooperation — from joint cyber-defence exercises to aligned policies on information integrity — as central to reducing vulnerability to hybrid tactics. The meetings are also likely to touch on how to protect supply chains and key digital networks that underpin essential services.
Experts and policymakers have emphasised that bolstering collective resilience involves both technical measures and efforts to strengthen public awareness. Enhanced coordination can speed up detection of malign campaigns, improve attribution of hostile acts, and streamline responses that combine diplomatic, economic and law-enforcement tools. The UK’s engagement with European partners aims to translate these strategic objectives into concrete arrangements for rapid cooperation when incidents occur.
The visit marks an early bilateral engagement intended to set a practical agenda for deeper ties on non-traditional security challenges. By placing hybrid threats at the centre of talks, London and Berlin aim to build shared mechanisms that can deter and mitigate disruptive actions while preserving open channels for political and economic cooperation across the continent.