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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor

Nato to force UK to lift defence spending to 3.5% of GDP to appease Trump, say sources

fighter jets on an aircraft carrier
Mark Rutte’s proposal would represent a real-terms increase of about £30bn from Labour’s current plan. Photograph: AS1 Amber Mayall RAF/PA

Defence sources believe that Britain will be forced to sign up to a target of lifting defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035 at this month’s Nato summit after a campaign by the alliance’s secretary general to keep Donald Trump onboard.

One senior insider said Britain would “without a doubt” sign up to a proposal from the Nato chief, Mark Rutte, to lift allies’ defence spending, which would represent a real-terms increase of about £30bn from the Labour government’s plan.

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