The US is demanding that the UK and NATO allies to spend 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) in defence and security, “starting now,” adding that this is “not a suggestion.”
The US President’s ambassador to NATO Mathew Whitaker said at a meeting in Brussels with the alliance’s Defence Minister’s at NATO’s headquarters, “Let me cut to the core of our message: 5%.”
Whitaker added, “Peace through strength means nothing less and it demands it equally from all allies.
“This is not going to be just a pledge. This is going to be a commitment. Every ally must commit to investing at least 5% of GDP in defence and security, starting now.”
Yesterday we reported that the upcoming NATO summit, the UK could be forced to increase defence spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035 to keep the US President Donald Trump in with the alliance.
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Defence sources have said that “without a doubt” the UK will be forced to sign up to this by the NATO chief Mark Rutte.
In real terms this will represent £30 billion increase which will no doubt increase taxes for Brits who are already struggling and trying to come to terms with the Chancellor’s crippling tax hikes.
The US ambassador to NATO said during the meeting on Wednesday, “The Hague summit will be a moment to lock these commitments in.”
The ambassador added, “This is not a suggestion. It’s a baseline for deterrence.”
On Monday Sir Keir Starmer agreed to increase defence spending from the current 2.3% to 2.5% by 2027 and then by the next parliament it will rise to 3%.
The Prime Minister told the BBC that he will not agree to a “performative fantasy politics” by picking out a date from thin air as to when the UK will meet the target, but NATO wants Britain to go further.
NATO’s Secretary General wants allies to increase their defence spending to 3.5% of GDP and 1.5% on cyber, military infrastructure and intelligence.
Rutte said last week, “I assume that in The Hague we will agree on a high defence spend target of in total 5%.”
He added, “it will be considerably north” of “3% when it comes to the hard spending.”
The authors of the Strategic Defence Review, Lord Robertson, Fiona Hill and Gen Sir Richard Barrons wrote for The Telegraph saying, “This period of unprecedented instability demands enhanced collective security with allies, especially Nato, to sustain deterrence that prevents opponents from considering inflicting harm.
“The US plays a different role in European security, but a modernised ‘NATO-first’ approach is the only effective, affordable option for the UK.”
