UK Prime Minister Announces Increase in Defence Spending and Additional Funding for Ukraine
During a visit to Warsaw, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced additional funding for Ukraine and pledged to increase Britain’s own defence budget. Sunak stated that Britain will gradually boost defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030.
Additional Military Funding for Ukraine
- Britain is providing £500 million in extra military funding for Kyiv.
- The increase in spending will make the UK one of the top spenders on defence in the NATO alliance.
Raising Defence Expenditure
NATO countries are under pressure to increase defence expenditure due to global threats, particularly from Russia and potential escalations in the Middle East. Sunak highlighted the need to defend against “an axis of authoritarian states”, including Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China.
Sunak emphasized that the increase in spending represents the biggest strengthening of national defence in a generation. The UK is expected to spend £87 billion on defence in 2030-31, marking a significant increase over current levels.
Support for Ukraine’s War Effort
In addition to the funding for Ukraine’s defence, Sunak announced a substantial package of equipment for Ukraine’s war effort. This includes over 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles, more than 400 vehicles (including armoured ones), and nearly four million rounds of small arms ammunition.
Ukraine has requested advanced Patriot systems to counter Russia’s hypersonic missiles, with several EU countries already possessing these systems. Sunak’s visit to Germany will involve discussions on bolstering NATO’s air defences in Europe.
European Defence Initiatives
Germany has been leading efforts to enhance NATO’s air defences in Europe, with the UK and other countries joining initiatives like the European Sky Shield Initiative. EU leaders are being urged to increase defence spending, with Brussels set to propose additional financing strategies at an upcoming summit in June.
The EU’s current 1.5-billion-euro strategy to boost defence production is seen as insufficient, highlighting the ongoing importance of strengthening defence capabilities in the face of evolving global threats.