Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that the U.K. plans to increase defense spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product by 2027, citing a new era of insecurity in Europe that necessitates a long-term response. This pledge comes ahead of Starmer's upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to advocate for continued American support for Ukraine and the NATO alliance.
Starmer emphasized the importance of standing by Ukraine to achieve lasting peace and prevent economic instability and security threats from escalating. The U.K. currently allocates 2.3% of GDP to defense, with the new target requiring an additional 13.4 billion pounds ($17 billion) annually. The prime minister aims for defense spending to reach 3% of GDP by 2035, with a reduction in overseas development aid from 0.5% to 0.3% of national income to fund the increase.
