The UK is considering introducing an additional tax on non-residents who own high-value residential property in the country, according to the Financial Times.
This involves a potential surcharge on the already approved luxury home tax, which is set to take effect in April 2028. The new levy will apply to properties valued at £2 million or more. The UK Treasury refers to the proposed additional measure as the “oligarch tax” or the “non-resident surcharge.”
Under the basic scale of the new tax, owners of homes valued between £2 million and £2.5 million will pay an additional £2,500 annually. For properties valued at up to £3.5 million, the levy will be £3,500; for those up to £5 million, £5,000; and for properties valued at over £5 million, £7,500 per year.
Initially, authorities estimated that the new tax on luxury housing would generate approximately £430 million annually for the budget. However, the introduction of an additional surcharge for non-residents could increase revenue. According to The Times, foreign and international owners may account for 25–35% of the approximately 165,000 properties that could potentially be subject to the new levy.
British authorities link the initiative not only to the need to replenish the budget but also to an attempt to ease pressure on the housing market, particularly in London. The Treasury is examining the extent to which demand from foreign buyers affects property prices and housing affordability for British households.
The new tax is officially called the High Value Council Tax Surcharge. It will apply to residential properties in England valued at £2 million or more. The Valuation Office Agency will be responsible for assessing the properties, and the surcharge itself will be collected alongside council tax but will go to the central budget.
The British luxury real estate market has traditionally remained one of the key sectors for international investors. The highest concentration of high-end housing is found in London and the southeast of England. Market experts warn that the new tax could increase pressure on the segment of properties valued at around £2 million, as sellers and buyers will seek to avoid falling into the new tax bracket.
The Argentine government has confirmed its readiness to resume bilateral talks with the UK regarding the sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, which Buenos Aires refers to as the Malvinas. According to Reuters, Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Kirno made this statement after a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keira Starmer reiterated that sovereignty over the islands belongs to the United Kingdom.
According to Kirno, Argentina once again declares its readiness to return to negotiations to find a “peaceful and definitive solution” to the sovereignty dispute and put an end to what Buenos Aires calls a “special colonial situation.” The British side, in turn, reaffirmed its unchanged position and emphasized the right of the islands’ inhabitants to self-determination.
The current surge in discussion arose against the backdrop of reports about an internal Pentagon memo that allegedly considered the possibility of revising the U.S. position on the Falkland Islands as a means of pressuring London over disagreements regarding the war with Iran. Following this, the British government separately stated that its position on the islands had not changed.
The situation is significant not only in diplomatic discourse but also in a geoeconomic context. The Falkland Islands have a small population but retain strategic importance in the South Atlantic due to their fishing zone, control of maritime routes, hydrocarbon development potential, and the UK’s military presence. According to official data from the island government, fishing remains the largest sector of the economy and accounted for approximately 58% of the territory’s nominal GDP as of 2024.
The history of the conflict over the islands dates back to the 19th century. Argentina has considered them its territory since the early 1800s, but the United Kingdom established control over the archipelago in 1833 and has rejected Argentina’s claims ever since. The most acute episode was the armed conflict of 1982, when Argentina attempted to retake the islands by force, but after a brief war, British troops reestablished control over the archipelago.
Since then, the dispute has remained unresolved but has been played out primarily on the diplomatic front.
The United Kingdom relies on the principle of self-determination of the islands’ inhabitants, who in a 2013 referendum voted almost unanimously to retain the status of a British Overseas Territory. Argentina does not recognize this approach and continues to insist on negotiations regarding sovereignty.
Thus, Buenos Aires’s latest statement does not signal an immediate breakthrough in negotiations, but it does indicate that the Falklands issue may once again return to the international agenda amid broader turbulence in relations between Western allies.
The UK intends to tighten the rules for obtaining permanent residency for most migrants by extending the standard waiting period from five to ten years. The primary source of this initiative is the UK government’s immigration White Paper, “Restoring control over the immigration system.” These documents explicitly mention a transition from the current five-year baseline to a new standard threshold of ten years.
The new model implies that the right to permanent residence will no longer be granted automatically after a fixed period of stay. The authorities want to link it to criteria regarding behavior, integration, and contribution to British society and the economy. The official consultation states that when reviewing applications, the following will be taken into account: the legality and continuity of residence, knowledge of the English language, passing the Life in the UK test, no criminal offenses, and, likely, verified employment and tax contributions.
The consultation on the earned settlement reform ran from November 20, 2025, to February 12, 2026, and the government says it is currently analyzing the feedback received. At the same time, London has already begun to implement related changes: on March 5, 2026, the Home Office announced stricter English language requirements for obtaining settlement, with these changes set to take effect in March 2027.
Ukrainians’ attitude toward the United Kingdom remains one of the most positive among all countries covered by a public opinion poll conducted in March 2026 by the research firm Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center. The share of positive assessments stands at 74.6%, which is only slightly lower than the August 2025 figure (75.3%). At the same time, the share of negative assessments has risen slightly—from 5.0% to 5.8%.
Positive assessments dominate the response structure: 40.3% of respondents expressed a “completely positive” attitude, while another 34.3% expressed a “mostly positive” attitude. This distribution indicates a high level of trust and a clearly established positive perception of the country among Ukrainians.
The share of neutral assessments stands at 18.2%, which is a relatively low figure and confirms that the majority of respondents have a definite attitude toward the United Kingdom. Negative assessments remain limited: 3.3% chose “mostly negative,” and 2.6% chose “completely negative.” Another 1.4% of respondents were unable to answer.
A comparison with the previous period shows that the overall level of positive perception of the United Kingdom remains consistently high, although there has been a slight increase in critical assessments. At the same time, these changes are not systematic in nature and do not affect the overall picture, in which the United Kingdom retains its position among Ukraine’s most positively perceived partners.
A distinctive feature of attitudes toward this country is the high proportion of “fully positive” assessments, indicating an emotionally strong perception. This means that the image of the UK in Ukrainian society is shaped not only on a rational level but also has a significant value-based and symbolic component.
“Attitudes toward the UK demonstrate that Ukrainians quite clearly distinguish the roles of different countries in the international context. Where there is a consistent position and clear signals of support, a stable positive image is formed. Even slight fluctuations in the indicators do not change the overall level of trust in such partners,” noted Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group.
Thus, the survey results indicate that the United Kingdom maintains one of the highest levels of positive perception among Ukrainians. Minor changes in the dynamics do not affect the overall trend: the country remains a stable and positively viewed partner in Ukrainian public opinion.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, the United Kingdom ranks 17th in total trade volume with Ukraine, with a figure of $2.08 billion. At the same time, imports of British goods exceed Ukrainian exports, resulting in a negative bilateral trade balance of over $785 million.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, UNITED KINGDOM, URAKIN
The UK has launched the Snooz ice cream brand, which is positioned as a product for evening consumption and contains chamomile, lemon balm, magnesium, and theanine. The launch of the new line was reported by specialized British publications covering branding and consumer trends.
According to the reports, the brand is capitalizing on consumers’ habit of eating ice cream in the evening. Materials about the launch of Snooz state that over 60% of ice cream is consumed after 6:00 PM, and the product’s positioning is built on this insight.
The ice cream’s ingredients include chamomile, lemon balm, magnesium, and theanine, which the brand classifies as sleep-friendly ingredients. However, available reports focus on the product’s marketing positioning as a better option for a late-night snack, rather than a medically proven remedy for insomnia.
The Snooz line features three main flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and salted caramel.
British Defense Minister John Gilli announced the allocation of an additional half a billion pounds ($681.4 million) to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense.
According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, Gilley made the announcement ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.
“This afternoon, I will confirm that the UK is providing Ukraine with an additional half a billion pounds for urgent air defense.
In this way, the UK is acting as a force for good in the world, building a new agreement on European security within NATO,” he said during a conversation with the media.
Gilley added that he is proud of the UK’s leadership and commitment to its allies.
“We will support you. We will defend you. We will fight alongside you in this new era of threats and brute force,” the minister said.
Gilley also confirmed that the UK will play a central role in NATO’s Arctic security mission, which aims to strengthen security in the region.
Later, the UK government website published a press release on a new aid package for Ukraine to strengthen its air defense. The new £500 million package includes £150 million for NATO’s PURL initiative and an additional 1,000 British-made missiles.
The Minister of Defense confirmed that the UK will provide £150 million for the first time to NATO’s Priority Urgent Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which ensures the rapid delivery of air defense interceptor missiles to protect Ukraine’s skies.
In addition, the UK intends to supply an additional 1,000 Belfast-made Light Multi-Mission Missiles (LMM).
This £390 million deal is based on deepening cooperation between British and Ukrainian industry on the transfer of production and support for Rapid Ranger launchers and command and control vehicles to Ukraine.
The government has announced that in the coming months, the UK will also supply an additional 1,200 air defense missiles and 200,000 artillery shells.
As reported, Defense Minister Gille is co-chairing the 33rd meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group today (February 12, 2026) at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
