Investment worth billions: Starmer announces higher British defense spending

With the inauguration of US President Trump, the need for Europe to stand on its own two feet militarily is increasing. Great Britain now wants to increase its defense spending. To do this, however, the government in London must make savings elsewhere.

Shortly before his meeting with US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a significantly faster increase in defence spending. By 2027, Britain will increase spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product, Starmer said in London. After 2029, a further increase to 3 percent will follow. The head of government will travel to Washington on Wednesday.

So far, British defence spending has been around 2.3 percent, with 53.9 billion pounds (around 65 billion euros) invested in the 2023/24 financial year. An increase to 2.5 percent would mean additional spending of 13.4 billion pounds per year, Starmer calculated.

This is to be financed by cutting development aid. That is what the country needs in light of the Russian attack on Ukraine, said Starmer. "And that is what this government will deliver." Russia is a threat "in our waters, in our airspace and on our streets," said the Prime Minister.

Trump has recently repeatedly demanded that NATO allies should spend five percent of their gross domestic product on defense instead of at least two percent. The German quota was recently around 2.1 percent.