British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that he will welcome several world leaders this weekend to discuss the situation in Ukraine following his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
“I will be hosting multiple countries over the weekend to continue our discussions on how we can move forward together as allies given the circumstances we are facing,” he told reporters.
Mr. Starmer also mentioned that he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier after returning from Washington, where he met with Mr. Trump.
This follows his address to the House of Commons, where he stated that the UK’s defence spending is set to increase to 2.5% by 2027.
Currently, the defence spending in the UK stands at 2.3%.
In response to “tyrant” Vladimir Putin and concerns over Mr. Trump’s commitment to European security, Mr. Starmer has reduced the aid budget to accommodate the significant rise in defence expenditure.
This adjustment will entail an additional yearly spending of £13.4 billion (€16.1 billion) starting in 2027, which Mr. Starmer acknowledged would involve “extremely difficult and painful choices.”
During a statement to MPs this afternoon, he also pledged to reach 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) by the next parliamentary session.
To achieve this, development assistance aid will be reduced from its current level of 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% by 2027.
When factoring in spending on intelligence and security services, the Prime Minister indicated that overall expenditure would reach 2.6% of GDP by 2027.
The Prime Minister commented: “We are also confronting sophisticated enemies who engage in cyberattacks, sabotage, and even assassination, making our intelligence and security services increasingly essential for protecting both ourselves and our allies.”
“Thus, in addition to the 2.5% funding I’ve just announced, we will acknowledge the critical role played by our intelligence and security services in national defence, which means collectively, we will be spending 2.6% on our defence from 2027.”
Since Mr. Trump’s apparent shift away from a pro-Ukraine stance regarding Russia’s war has caught much of Europe off guard, Mr. Starmer and other European leaders have intensified their diplomatic efforts to present a united front in support of Kyiv.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged member states to increase their defence spending beyond the common target of 2% of national output established a decade ago. According to NATO, the UK was the third-largest spender in monetary terms in 2024, behind the United States and Germany.
Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has vowed to significantly elevate defence spending but faces challenges from potential opposition from far-right and left-wing parties.
Mr. Starmer is heading to Washington, aiming to assure Mr. Trump that Europe will extend support and security guarantees to Kyiv if peace negotiations with Russia prove successful.
Additional reporting by Tommy Meskill, PA
