The British government has announced a significant increase in military spending, aiming to send a strong signal about burden sharing to US President Donald Trump ahead of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s meeting with him on Thursday.
The Labour government plans to raise its military spending to 2.5% of economic output by 2027 and to 3% during the next government’s term, which would be achieved by 2034 at the latest. This move is expected to result in a £13.4 billion ($17 billion) annual increase on defense between now and 2027.
The decision comes as Mr. Trump has long advocated for European allies to contribute more to Europe’s defense. The UK’s decision may help ease tensions ahead of Mr. Starmer’s meeting with the US President, which will focus on trans-Atlantic cooperation.
However, some critics have expressed concerns that scaling back overseas development aid to 0.3% of GDP could have negative consequences for global security and poverty reduction. The UK chair of the House of Commons international development committee has called on Mr. Starmer to rethink his decision.
Mr. Starmer will also meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, who has sought to promote unity between Europe and the US. The British Prime Minister is expected to play host to a meeting of European leaders in London on Sunday to discuss joint plans for the continent’s security.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/25/world/europe/uk-defense-spending-starmer.html