Starmer prepares for Trump meeting after raising defence spending
Political journalist
Defense correspondent
Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to travel to Washington to meet Donald Trump after he plans to increase defense spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027.
The Prime Minister said Tuesday he would cut foreign aid budget to fund military power – a move the Trump administration welcomed but marked a “betrayal” of developing charities.
Sir Kyle will face MPs in the House of Commons on Wednesday and then fly to the United States, with Ukraine going to be the first on the agenda.
When leaders across Europe hope to end the Ukrainian war with Russia, the announcement came after leaders across Europe reviewed defense policies.
Trump has long called on members of NATO military alliance to spend more money on defense – trying to quickly reach a deal to make the Ukrainian war after talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin Finish.
He has been a staunch critic of the U.S. government’s military support for Keefe and hopes that Europe will play a greater role in ensuring the future security of Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials confirmed to BBC News A on Tuesday A deal has been reached to make US companies visit Regarding the country’s huge deposit of rare rare earth minerals, Trump said it could mean that U.S. military support for Kiev continues to support until a Russian ceasefire is reached.
Sir Kyle said when announcing the defence spending plan that the UK’s aid budget would be reduced from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% in 2027, “full funding of defence investment”, which would rise from 2.3% of GDP.
He told the House of Commons that this means that the Ministry of Defence spends £13.4 billion each year starting in 2027.
Last year, Britain spent £53.9 billion on national defense.
The Prime Minister said that defense spending will rise to 2.6% of GDP once the contribution of intelligence services is placed on the consideration of its defense.
The move was praised by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who called it a “strong step toward a lasting partner.”
Sir Kyle urged European allies to step up their efforts and Britain would also set “clear ambitions” to increase defence spending to 3 per cent after the next election.
Sir Kyle said in a press conference after the announcement that the election promise to increase defense spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP was “in light of the serious threat we face”, the country faced a “dangerous new era”.
Asked if Trump’s pressure prompted him to take action, Sir Keel insisted that it was “my decision, based on my assessment of what we face as a country”.
But he admits that “there has accelerated my mind in recent weeks.”
“I think we all know that this decision has been three years since the conflict in Ukraine began,” the prime minister added.
In its election manifesto, Labour promised to restore development spending to 0.7% of total national income “once allowed” – the government said it still promised the goal.
The aid cuts shocked charities, saving children called it “betrayed the world’s most vulnerable children and the national interests of Britain”.
“There is no respect for cutting the life-savings in the most dangerous places,” said Moazzam Malik, CEO of the charity.
Labor MP Sarah Champion, chair of the International Development Committee, called on the government to “rethink today’s announcement.”
“Cutting aid budget to fund defense spending is a false economy that will only make the world less secure,” she said.
Sir Kyle responded to the criticism that this was not a decision I wanted to make” but he believed that “there was no driving force for immigration and poverty like the conflict”.
The escalation of defense spending will help Britain’s armed forces, which have experienced severe cuts since the end of the Cold War.
However, this will not completely reverse the decline in the country’s military capacity.
Even before this extra cash injection, the Department of Defense faces a black hole in its equipment budget for the next decade, according to the National Audit Office.
Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director of the Royal Joint Services think tank, said most of the increase would be used to block underfunded plans and address emergency shortages of ammunition.
But he said the promise of reaching 3% GDP by the mid-2030s could lead to a “transformation of the way we fight military”, allowing the armed forces to plan long-term and “ensure that innovation is not always squeezed out through on the big platform spending on it.”
Dr Simon Ganglim, a researcher in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, said 3% of GDP is a “minimum” by 2030, to build troops enough to stop Russia.
He told the BBC that if the U.S. is to withdraw its military support: “We may have to start talking about more”.
Sir Kyle had previously said that after a review of the country’s defense capabilities, the government would spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on the military in the next general election.
But Trump’s rapid diplomatic development urged to end the Ukrainian war would inject urgency into the decision on national defense.
It is not clear that the increase will impress Trump, who has been telling European NATO allies that they should spend more money on defense.
NATO guidelines recommend that each member state should spend at least 2% of its GDP, but recently, Mark Rutte, head of the group, said allies should target the goal of “3% north”.
The Prime Minister’s trip to the White House later this week comes after talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump on Monday.
Sir Kyle will also host European leaders in the UK this weekend to discuss their future defense.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the increase in defense spending and the “repurposing” of funds from the aid budget.
But she does question whether the government has a strong enough economic strategy to support the rise in defense spending.
The Liberal Democrats have previously called for 3% of GDP to be “as soon as possible” on defense.
Party leader Sir Ed Davey welcomed this but urged the government to “raise funds in different ways” by seizing frozen Russian assets or increasing taxes on multinational tech companies.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said that while his party supports the increase in defense spending, it cannot support the “populist script” to cut aid to fund it.
