British Prime Minister Keir Starmer informed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that the UK will release its defence investment plan before the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. Both leaders agreed on the need to bolster collective defence.
The UK's commitment to a new defence investment plan ahead of the NATO summit signals a strengthening of collective security efforts among allies facing evolving global threats.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer informed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that the United Kingdom will publish its defence investment plan prior to the alliance's upcoming summit in Ankara. During their call, Starmer and Rutte agreed on the necessity for allies to bolster collective defence and accelerate responses to shared and evolving threats. A Downing Street spokesperson stated that Starmer updated Rutte on the plans for the defence investment strategy, emphasizing his commitment to its release before the Ankara summit. The NATO Secretary General welcomed the UK's increased defence investment, viewing it as a significant contribution to the alliance and its efforts to address current threats. The UK's defence investment plan had originally been due last year. Starmer also reiterated his commitment to raising defence spending to 3% of GDP in the next parliament, emphasizing national security as the government's top priority despite budget constraints.
In a separate development, Starmer spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump about efforts to resolve the Iran conflict. Downing Street stated that Starmer welcomed progress made so far and reiterated Britain's readiness to support the implementation of any peace agreement. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of restoring freedom of navigation to ease global economic impacts.
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