Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to meet a new Nato target to spend 5% of the UK's GDP on national security by 2035. At a Nato summit in the Netherlands, 32 member countries including the UK are expected to agree the 5% goal, with 3.5% to go on core defence and the remaining 1.5% on defence-related areas such as resilience and security. The split target is aimed at placating US President Donald Trump, who has urged Nato allies to spend more, while giving cash-strapped EU countries flexibility over how they meet the target. Downing Street has argued measures on energy and tackling smuggling gangs could be classified as security spending. Speaking ahead of the two-day summit, Sir Keir said the UK had to "navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest". "After all, economic security is national security, and through this strategy we will bring the whole of society with us, creating jobs, growth and wages for working people." Nato (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) is made up of 32 member countries who agree to defend each other if attacked. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Trump's re-election as US president last year, members of the organisation have faced increased pressure to boost their defence spending. Countries had been expected to spend at least 2% of their national income - or GDP - on defence, although last year, only 23 hit that target - an increase from three in 2014. In January, Trump said 2% was "not enough" and that Nato allies should be spending 5%. And speaking last year before his re-election, he said he would "encourage" aggressors to "do whatever the hell they want" to European allies who don't pay their way. In February, Sir Keir set out plans to increase the UK's defence spending, as opposed to national security spending, to 2.5% by April 2027 and expressed a "clear ambition" to reach 3% by 2034 if economic conditions allowed. On Monday, the government said it expected to reach the target of spending 4.1% of GDP on national security by 2027. The 1.5% element of the 5% Nato target is for what is described as "resilience", such as border security and protection against cyber attacks. For the UK, this latter element is expected to be met by the year after next, with core defence spending reaching 2.6% by then. Getting core defence spending to 3.5% isn't expected until 2035 – two general elections away – and Downing Street hasn't said how it will be paid for. Alongside the spending commitment, the government published its National Security Strategy which said the UK needed to be more "competitive and robust" in science, education, trade and frontier technology. It also sought to stress that investment in defence would be felt "directly in the pockets of working people" pointing to new jobs that would be created. The summit will be Mark Rutte's first as secretary general of Nato. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the former Dutch prime minister said the 5% spending commitment was "a quantum leap that is ambitious, historic and fundamental to securing our future". However, it is unclear how nations will meet the target or whether they will at all. On Sunday evening, Spain claimed it had secured an opt-out, something later denied by Rutte. Ukraine is not a member of Nato and although President Volodymyr Zelensky has been invited to the summit dinner he will not be taking part in discussions of the North Atlantic Council. Last week, Ed Arnold from the defence think tank Rusi told the BBC contentious issues - including a new Russia strategy - had been removed from the summit's agenda.
UK vows to spend 5% of GDP on national security by 2035
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"UK Commits to 5% GDP Spending on National Security by 2035"
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TruthLens AI Summary
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced the UK's commitment to meet a new NATO target of allocating 5% of its GDP towards national security by the year 2035. This pledge was made during a NATO summit in the Netherlands, where the 32 member countries, including the UK, are anticipated to agree on this ambitious spending goal. The proposed allocation is divided into two parts: 3.5% will be dedicated to core defense, while the remaining 1.5% will focus on defense-related areas, including resilience and security measures. This dual-target strategy appears to be an effort to satisfy U.S. President Donald Trump's insistence that NATO allies increase their defense expenditures, while also offering European nations the flexibility to allocate funds according to their pressing security needs. The UK government has suggested that expenditures on energy security and combating smuggling could be classified under security spending, thus broadening the scope of what constitutes national security investment. In his remarks ahead of the summit, Sir Keir emphasized the necessity for the UK to navigate the current era characterized by 'radical uncertainty' with agility and a clear understanding of national interests, linking economic security directly to national security and emphasizing the creation of jobs and economic growth through this strategic investment.
The commitment to increase defense spending comes in the context of heightened pressure on NATO members to bolster their military capabilities, particularly following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although NATO countries have been expected to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense, only 23 out of 32 members met this benchmark last year. In light of Trump's remarks advocating for a 5% target, the UK has set its own interim goals, with plans to increase defense spending to 2.5% by April 2027 and potentially to 3% by 2034, depending on economic conditions. The UK government anticipates reaching a national security spending level of 4.1% by 2027, with the resilience component expected to be met by 2025. However, achieving the core defense spending target of 3.5% by 2035 remains uncertain, and the government has yet to clarify the funding mechanisms for this increase. The newly released National Security Strategy outlines the need for the UK to enhance its competitiveness and robustness across various sectors, asserting that investment in defense will yield tangible benefits for the workforce. The summit marks a significant moment for NATO, with Secretary General Mark Rutte highlighting the ambitious nature of the 5% commitment, although questions linger regarding the feasibility of achieving such targets across member nations.
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