Britain will accelerate its increase in defense spending, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday, just ahead of a crucial visit to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.
Starmer outlined plans to raise military spending from 2.3% of Britain’s GDP to 2.5% by 2027, with a further increase to 2.6% the following year. His announcement comes amid growing tensions between Trump and Europe over the war in Ukraine.
“This government will begin the biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War,” Starmer told Parliament.
Reaffirming U.K.-U.S. Ties
The prime minister emphasized the importance of Britain’s relationship with the United States, calling it the country’s “most important bilateral alliance.”
“We must reject any false choice between our allies. Between one side of the Atlantic or the other. That is against our history, country, and party,” Starmer said.
He added, “This week when I meet President Trump, I will be clear: I want this relationship to go from strength to strength.”
Starmer also set a longer-term ambition to raise defense spending to 3% of GDP in the next parliament, which will begin by 2029 at the latest. However, he noted that reaching this final target would depend on the fiscal conditions at the time.
Trump has urged NATO countries to increase their defense spending to 5%, making clear that the U.S. will not take primary responsibility for Europe’s security in the future.
A Response to Trump?
At a press conference later on Tuesday, journalists asked Starmer whether his decision was influenced by Trump’s stance on European security.
Starmer pushed back on that notion, stating that the increase in defense spending had been “three years in the making,” referencing Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“President Trump thinks we should do more, and I agree with him. It chimes with my thinking on this,” he said.
“This is very much my decision, based on my assessment of the circumstances that we face as a country, and it is taken first and foremost to ensure that the United Kingdom and its citizens are safe and secure.”
Cuts to International Development
The increase in defense spending will be funded in part through a reduction in international development spending, which will drop from 0.5% of Britain’s GDP to 0.3% in the coming years.
“That is not an announcement I am happy to make,” Starmer admitted, adding that the defense boost “can only be funded through hard choices.”
Charities affected by the cuts expressed outrage, calling the decision “shocking” and “stunning.”
WaterAid, which provides clean water access globally, described the move as a “cruel betrayal of people living in poverty.”
Moazzam Malik, CEO of Save The Children UK, warned that the cuts would “make the world a more dangerous place for children now and in the future.”
Hannah Bond, co-CEO of ActionAid UK, called the reductions “reckless,” stating, “There is no justification for abandoning the world’s most marginalized time and time again to navigate geopolitical developments.”
“This is a political choice—one with devastating consequences,” she added.
Breaking From Conservative Timelines
The previous Conservative government had set a goal to reach 2.5% in defense spending by 2030. After winning last year’s general election, Starmer maintained the target but had not previously set a firm timeline.
Announcing the accelerated plan, Starmer told MPs, “Courage is what our own era now demands of us.”
