Great Britain announced on Tuesday a historic increase in military spending, seeking to send a powerful signal to the sharing of the burden to President Trump before Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets him on Thursday in the White House.
Starmer said that Great Britain would increase its military spending to 2.5% of economic production by 2027, and to 3% during the mandate of the next government, which would mean by 2034 at the latest. Great Britain, he said, would pay the new massive expenses by reducing development assistance abroad.
The Labor government had already promised to increase spending to 2.5% of the gross domestic product, against a current level of 2.3%, but it had not given a date on which it would. This decision would represent an increase in expenses of 13.4 billion pounds ($ 17 billion) per year of defense by 2027.
“We have to change our national security posture because a generational challenge requires a generational response,” Starmer said in a statement in the parliament that won the support of the Chamber’s political parties.
Starmer said the government would reduce development aid abroad from 0.5% of the gross domestic product to 0.3%, adding that it regretted the reduction. “In times like this, the defense and security of the British people must always come first,” he said.
Trump has long asked that European allies contribute more to the defense of Europe. He wrongly said that the United States had provided the vast majority of financial support to Ukraine.
But NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, also recently called NATO members to spend “much more” than 3% of economic production on defense. Trump’s recent statements on Ukraine have strengthened the fears that the United States withdraws from its several decades on Europe.
Mr. Starmer reiterated the centrality of the transatlantic alliance to the security of Europe. This made a distinction with the probable new chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, who said that after the electoral victory of his party on Sunday, that Europe had to implement an independent security strategy of the United States.
“We have to reject any false choice between our allies, between one side of the Atlantic or the other,” said Starmer, saying Great Britain and the United States: “It’s a relationship Special. It is a strong relationship. I want it to go more forcefully.
The government’s help cup, which came A previous cut Under a Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in 2020, echoes the Trump Administration drastic retirement foreign help. But Mr. Starmer presented his decision as a temporary measure necessary by the new difficult security environment.
M. Trump’s billionaire, Ally Elon Musk, has almost dismantled the United States agency for international development Within the framework of his overhaul of the federal government through what he calls the Ministry of Effectiveness of the Government.
In Great Britain, the president of the International Development Committee of the House of Commons called for Mr. Starmer to rethink the decision.
“The reduction of the aid budget to finance defense expenses is a false economy that will only make the world less safe,” said committee president Sarah, adding that “the conflict is often a result of despair, climate and insecurity “.
Mr. Starmer will meet Mr. Trump three days after President Emmanuel Macron of France, who also sought to project the unit between Europe and the United States but gently resisted him on several points. Mr. Macron corrected Mr. Trump’s statement that Europe would be reimbursed for his help to Ukraine.
On Sunday, Mr. Starmer is expected to host a meeting of European leaders in London to discuss joint security plans of the continent, after his meeting with the president in Washington. This would be based on meetings organized by Mr. Macron in Paris last week after Mr. Trump announced that he would start direct talks with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on a ceasefire in Ukraine.
