Starmer announced plans to increase UK defense spending to 2.5%

"We will fulfill our obligations to allocate 2.5% of GDP for defense needs and achieve this faster than planned, reaching this level in 2027," Starmer said, as quoted by the TV channel "BBC".

The TV channel clarified that the UK currently spends 2.3% of GDP on defense. The prime minister said that from 2027, the kingdom's spending for these purposes will increase by 13.4 billion pounds (about $16.95 billion) annually. In addition, if we take into account the funds that the country will allocate to intelligence and special services, defense spending will generally reach 2.6% of GDP.

Starmer noted that by the next parliamentary elections, which are scheduled for 2029, UK defense spending will be brought to the level of 3% of GDP.

The BBC noted that the head of the British government made these statements shortly before his visit to the White House to meet with the president USA By Donald Trump, which is expected on Thursday, February 27. The American leader demands that NATO countries raise their spending in this area to 5% of GDP.

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Earlier in the day, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called on the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which won the parliamentary elections, to introduce legislative changes that would allow Germany to exceed the debt limit in order to increase defense spending. The Minister noted that the costs in this area They should be raised to a level higher than 3% of GDP.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on February 19 that Europe should put money on the table and start investing more in defense if it wants the world to take it seriously.

In addition, the Financial Times newspaper reported on the same day that the EU authorities were considering href="https://iz.ru/1841684/2025-02-19/smi-uznali-o-planakh-es-perenapravit-sredstva-ot-borby-s-pandemiei-na-oboronu">the opportunity to redistribute €93 billion for defense needs of unused funds that were initially allocated for recovery after the coronavirus pandemic.