The UK's Defense Secretary, Grant Shapps, has called on all NATO countries to increase their defense spending to 2.5% of their GDP. He made this statement ahead of the NATO's 75th anniversary summit later this year in Washington D.C. The UK currently spends the most on defense in Europe in real terms, but countries like Poland, Greece, Estonia, and Hungary spend more as a proportion of their GDP. Shapps believes this is necessary to address the demands of a "more dangerous world." The prime minister is expected to make this case at the summit.
The UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to increase the defense budget to 2.5% of GDP during a trip to Warsaw, following pressure from his own party and former defense secretaries.
This is an increase from the previously committed 2% minimum for NATO members.
Sunak intends to argue for this increase at the NATO 75th anniversary summit in Washington DC, as he believes the world is becoming more dangerous.
Boris Johnson had proposed a 3% increase in June 2022.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivered a speech with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, emphasizing the need for the UK to increase its defense spending due to the current dangerous global climate.
Sunak pledged to fully fund the commitment to reach the 2.5% defense spending target by 2030, moving from an aspiration to a concrete plan.