October 5, 2026
DIANE FRANCIS
June 23rd marked the tenth anniversary of one of the dumbest geopolitical decisions made in modern history: “Brexit,” or Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. It was promoted by Brits who believed Britain could do better on its own and also by Kremlin-backed RT and Sputnik, social-media bots and trolls who spewed anti-EU and pro-Brexit narratives. But this year, on September 30, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham publicly admitted that Britain’s departure had “done more harm than good,” a massive understatement. Brexit’s timing in 2016 damaged the country in every way and weakened the EU and the Western alliance, just as Russia and China were becoming more aggressive. Now Britain’s government will re-examine whether to fully or partially rejoin Europe. If fully reunited, the world order will change for the better: Europe will dwarf Russia and rival the US and China as a global power.
If you add Ukraine to the EU eventually, the figures are even more compelling in favor of unity. An EU including both Britain and Ukraine would have roughly 558 million people, a $26 trillion economy, and combined 2025 military expenditure of about $644 billion. Its economy would be nearly ten times Russia’s, while its combined military spending would be almost twice China’s and more than three times Russia’s. Ukraine would also contribute another 13.5% to Europe’s territory as well as the continent’s biggest and most innovative military and defence-industrial base, and a world-class technology center.
Dividing Europe to conquer it has been a longstanding Kremlin strategy. Still, its war against Ukraine – along with Trump’s anti-Europe and separatist rhetoric – has backfired and unified the continent out of fear. The return of the UK would dramatically shift the calculus in Europe’s favor concerning Putin’s “War against Europe” that has been underway for years. Russia’s first “invasion” was the proposed construction of gas pipelines under the Baltic and Black Seas, intended to make the continent dependent on Russian fossil fuels and eliminate the need for pipelines through Ukraine, paving the way for its invasion. Then Putin invaded Ukraine twice, has conducted “hybrid warfare” in Europe for years, and continues to pay two EU saboteurs — Hungary and Slovakia – with cheap Russian fossil fuels so they reduce EU military aid to Kyiv and block Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
Brexit is what’s known in soccer as an “own goal” or a self-harming move that was foolish and must be reversed. Billed as a way to eliminate red tape and enhance sovereignty, it accomplished neither. Brexit forced Britain to erect more barriers between its economy and its largest trading partner and increased paperwork, border costs, and regulatory friction. It weakened investment into Britain and trade out of it. Brexit also damaged the EU economically, militarily, and geopolitically too.
However, former Prime Minister Theresa May touted that Brexit would pave the way to “Global Britain,” which would outperform Europe by forging more international trading relationships. But the plan to pivot to Asia and Commonwealth nations flopped.
Getting back in will be complicated. Britain first applied to join the European Economic Community in 1961 and did not enter until 1973, after two French vetoes. Re-entry could also be long and difficult. Europe will want assurance that Britain won’t change its mind again. But circumstances have changed dramatically. Europe needs Britain, and Britain needs Europe. This is no longer merely an economic initiative. It is a strategic imperative.
The economic damage as a result of Brexit continues. Recent academic estimates put Britain’s GDP per capita 6 to 8 percent below where it might otherwise have been. For these and other reasons, it is not surprising that polling in Britain shows large support for rejoining the EU.
Response to Britain’s re-entry is mostly positive. French President Emmanuel Macron said a British return would be “excellent news,” but others warn that Britain won’t get the special privileges it used to enjoy. In the past, Britain negotiated an exemption from some EU overheads and was allowed to keep its currency, rather than adopt the euro, remain outside the Schengen passport-free area, and enjoy other special arrangements. Brussels will not automatically restore all of these “opt-outs”.
However, Europeans need Britain. According to a recent survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), 66% of EU citizens (in 15 of its 27 member states) support Britain rejoining. More importantly, the leader of the EU’s largest economy — Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz — said his country will do everything it can to help Britain (and eventually Ukraine) join the EU. The bottom line is that there is only one leader in Europe who will do anything to keep Britain out of the EU: Vladimir Putin, which is why the continent must be united.