Starmer agrees to spend 3.5pc on defence after bowing to Nato pressure

Telegraph

2 days ago

Britain has agreed to significantly ramp up defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP after bowing to pressure from Nato.
Mark Rutte, the alliance's secretary-general, said a 'historic' decision had been made to invest more on tanks, fighter jets, air defence, drones and long-range missiles at a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels.
The Dutchman proposed a rise in defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP, and a further 1.5 per cent on related infrastructure, to meet the challenges posed by a resurgence of Moscow.
It was only on Monday that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in his strategic defence review promised to spend 3 per cent of GDP on the military by the end of the next parliament, but failed to explain how that would be funded.
That plan was undermined within 24 hours, after Nato demanded the Government raise that figure to 3.5 per cent.
Now that Sir Keir has agreed to the further increase, he will face renewed pressure to set out concrete plans on how he can pay for it.
It is expected that Nato's first spending plan in over a decade will be signed off when the alliance's leaders gather for their annual summit in The Hague later this month.
The dramatic increase in defence spending was brokered under pressure from US president Donald Trump, who has suggested he could withdraw American support for the alliance if its members fail to hit expenditure targets.
Mr Rutte acknowledged that governments started to spend more on defence in the wake of complaints by the US president during his first term in the White House.
But the Nato chief added: 'We don't have to do this because of an audience of one, we have to do this to keep one billion people safe.'
'It's important the UK gets there'
Earlier, Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of defence, singled out the importance of Britain meeting the new goals in response to a question over Sir Keir's pledge to spend only 3 per cent of GDP on defence.
'We think everyone is going to get there, we really do. It's important they do. It's important that the UK gets there,' Mr Hegseth told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting in Brussels.
He argued the extra investment by European allies and Canada was crucial to keep pace with a pledge by Mr Trump to spend $1 trillion on defence in an upcoming budget.
'When you consider the threats that we face, the urgency in the world, it's critical,' Mr Hegseth said.
'We don't need more flags, we need more fighting formations. We don't need more conferences. We need more capabilities, hard power.'
Critics have argued that American demands for European governments to invest more in defence will hurt spending on hospitals, schools and other civilian projects.
But Mr Rutte said the investment in weapons was needed more than ever, as Russia currently produces as much ammunition every three months as Nato does in a year.
'For the next three years, we are fine, but we have to start now. Otherwise three, four, five years from now, we are really under threat,' he added.
'I may be using rhetoric here, but I really mean it that you will have to get your Russian language course or go to New Zealand.'
Talks on the exact details of the defence spending pledge to be made in The Hague will continue in the weeks running up to the summit.
Departing the meeting in Brussels, Mr Hegseth said he was confident that there would be a deal.
'Countries in there are well exceeding 2 per cent, and we think very close, almost near consensus, on a 5 per cent commitment for Nato in The Hague later this month,' he said.
Mr Hegseth said it was 'heartening' to hear his European counterparts agree to White House demands to become less reliant on America for the continent's security.
The Pentagon chief earlier this year shocked Nato allies by insisting that America could no longer be Europe's main security guarantor, as it had to focus Washington's attention on the growing threat posed by China.
'I have total confidence we will get there,' Mr Rutte said on Thursday. 'Look at the Russian threat. The Chinese build-up. We live in a different world. We live in a more dangerous world.'
Spain emerged as the country diplomats were most concerned about hitting the target, after its defence minister claimed it could meet the new capability targets while spending just 2 per cent of GDP.
Margarita Robles later insisted Madrid would not veto any agreement, even if it did not agree with setting a 'fixed percentage' figure.
The new capability targets will see a number of dramatic changes to European defence, including Germany increasing the size of its armed forces by 'around 50,000 to 60,000' more soldiers, according to defence minister Boris Pistorius.
The Netherlands also expects to more than double its military from 70,000 to 200,000 personnel in the next five years.
Without any reference to the 5 per cent spending goal, Defence Secretary John Healey said 'war-fighting readiness' was at the centre of future plans for Britain's armed forces.