French Defence Minister Florence Parly has told the French daily “le Figaro” that France, Germany, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Spain and Portugal are to sign a letter of intent for the creation of a joint military intervention force on June 25.

The proposed force, known as the European Intervention Initiative, is kept separated from other EU Defence cooperation programs. Britain, which has always resisted the idea of an “EU army,” will be able to take part even after it has left the bloc.

The initiative to set up a European military intervention force, which could be rapidly deployed in the event of a crisis, were introduced by France’s President Emmanuel Macron in September 2017.