Britain and Germany sign defense pact to counter Russia’s growing threat

LONDON (AP) — Officials say German submarine-hunting planes will patrol the North Atlantic from a base in Scotland under a new Britain-Germany defense pact in response to the growing threat from Russia. Defense ministers from Britain and Germany will sign the agreement in London on Wednesday. They call it the first such defense pact between the two countries to boost European security amid rising Russian aggression. Under the deal, the allies will work closer together to protect vital underwater cables in the North Sea. The two countries say they will also cooperate to prioritize developing long-range strike weapons that can travel further than the U.K.’s existing Storm Shadow missiles.