LONDON — On Tuesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled a plan to elevate the United Kingdom’s defense budget to 2.5% of its gross domestic product by 2027. He emphasized that Europe’s current climate of insecurity necessitates a robust and “generational response.” This announcement leads up to a significant meeting at the White House where Starmer will engage with U.S. President Donald Trump to advocate for sustained American backing for Ukraine and the NATO alliance.
Addressing lawmakers in the House of Commons, Starmer stressed, “We must support Ukraine. Failing to secure enduring peace will only exacerbate economic instability and security threats.” He noted that as the conflict evolves, recent changes demand a more focused response. “This new era must be met with unity and strength, much like we have in the past,” he added.
Currently, the U.K. dedicates 2.3% of its GDP to defense. The government had previously set the 2.5% target without specifying a deadline. Starmer explained to lawmakers that meeting this target translates to an additional 13.4 billion pounds ($17 billion) annually. The long-term ambition is for defense spending to escalate to 3% of GDP by 2035.
To fund these defense ambitions, Starmer announced a reduction in overseas development aid from 0.5% to 0.3% of national income. He acknowledged this as a “very difficult and painful decision.” Referring to this shift as the largest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War, Starmer argued the change was crucial because “tyrants like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin only respond to strength.”
Defense leaders have voiced their support for the plan, yet it has raised concerns among aid organizations and some politicians. Liberal Democrat legislator Monica Harding criticized the reduction in aid for impoverished communities globally, deeming it “short-sighted and a strategic and moral mistake” that could inadvertently empower Russia and China.
This announcement arrives amid a backdrop where European nations are urgently enhancing their collective defense capabilities. President Trump’s foreign policy adjustments appear to downplay Europe’s significance as he seeks an expedited end to the Ukrainian conflict. Trump has historically challenged NATO’s value and criticized European countries that, according to him, benefit from U.S. security without adequate contribution.
Starmer is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House on Thursday. The British prime minister has proposed deploying British troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission, a strategy supported by both the U.K. and France. However, Starmer emphasized the necessity of an American “backstop” to secure lasting peace, noting that Trump had not yet committed to such security assurances. During a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump remarked that “Europe is going to make sure nothing happens,” implying a reluctance to provide direct guarantees.
As his center-left administration strives for stronger defense cooperation with Europe, Starmer aims to “reset” relations with the European Union, following years of discord stemming from the Brexit saga. While advocating for solid ties with Washington, he navigates Trump’s “America First” policy, which often disparages allied relationships, threatens tariffs on trading partners, and controversially labels Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” while sparing Putin of such criticism.
Starmer concluded with a call for unity, rejecting the idea of choosing between allies on different sides of the Atlantic. “We must reject any false choice between our allies, between one side of the Atlantic and the other,” he asserted, preparing to tell Trump, “I want this relationship to go from strength to strength.”
