Military veterans fear Britain is walking into an “EU ambush” on defence cooperation after the Government made clear its “unconditional” commitment to maintaining European security.

Theresa May was accused of blackmail in March when she used the Article 50 letter which triggered the Brexit process to warn security would be “weakened” by a failure to reach a deal on withdrawal.

But now the Government has appeared to back away from using one of its strongest negotiating chips, suggesting in a new Brexit position paper that the bloc’s security will not be put at risk by the talks.

The latest report also suggests that the UK will continue to work with the EU on aid projects despite concerns about the way in which money is spent.