Starmer Backs Trump on NATO Defense Spending, Says Europe Needs to Spend More
Starmer Backs Trump’s Call for Increased NATO Spending,But Says allies Already Contribute Substantially
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has voiced support for President-elect Donald Trump’s call for NATO countries to meet their defense spending targets,acknowledging that Europe should contribute more to collective security.
Speaking to LBC News, Starmer agreed with Trump’s assertion that ”Europe needs to do more” on military expenditure. Trump, who is set to return to the White House in January, has repeatedly urged European allies to increase their defense budgets, arguing that the US shoulders a disproportionate share of the burden.
“As you know I met him a number of weeks ago. I do think that when he says that Europe needs to do more,as a general proposition I think that’s right,and we should do more,” LBC News quoted Starmer as saying.
However, Starmer emphasized the notable contributions already made by NATO allies, stating, “There’s a huge amount of capability that we are doing together.”
NATO members are obligated to allocate at least 2% of their GDP to defense spending.While not all countries meet this target, even amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UK ranks as the ninth-highest spender in proportion to it’s GDP. poland leads with 4.1%, followed by the US at around 3.4%.
In raw terms, the US and Germany are the biggest contributors to NATO, providing about 16% of the total budget each.
When asked if all allies should “pay their way,” Starmer declined to dictate to other nations, stating, “I wouldn’t sit here in an interview and start telling allies what they must do.”
He emphasized the collective strength of NATO, asserting, “All of our allied countries make a significant contribution to our collective defense, and if Putin believed his aggression in Ukraine would weaken NATO, he made a major mistake.”
Starmer highlighted NATO’s increased strength as the Russian invasion, noting the addition of new members and enhanced cooperation through joint training and deployments.
He praised the British military’s efforts, particularly in response to the “constant threat” posed by Russia, stating, “There’s a real recognition for what our teams are doing as part of that NATO deployment.”
While Starmer refused to commit to a 3% defense spending target, he reiterated the government’s pledge to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP. This follows a warning from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who urged NATO members to adopt a wartime mindset and significantly increase spending, citing the “worst” security situation in his lifetime.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves previously stated that Labor coudl not raise defense spending without cuts in other areas.
Starmer Backs Trump’s Call for Increased NATO Spending, But Says Allies Already Contribute Substantially
London, UK – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has voiced support for President-elect Donald Trump’s call for NATO countries to meet their defense spending targets, acknowledging that Europe should contribute more to collective security.
Speaking to LBC News, Starmer agreed with Trump’s assertion that ”europe needs to do more” on military expenditure. Trump, who is set to return to the White House in January, has repeatedly urged European allies to increase their defense budgets, arguing that the US shoulders a disproportionate share of the burden.
“As you know I met him a number of weeks ago. I do think that when he says that Europe needs to do more, as a general proposition I think that’s right, and we should do more,” LBC News quoted Starmer as saying.
Though,Starmer emphasized the notable contributions already made by NATO allies,stating,”There’s a huge amount of capability that we are doing together.”
NATO members are obligated to allocate at least 2% of their GDP to defense spending. While not all countries meet this target, even amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UK ranks as the ninth-highest spender in proportion to its GDP. Poland leads with 4.1%, followed by the US at around 3.4%. In raw terms, the US and Germany are the biggest contributors to NATO, providing about 16% of the total budget each.
When asked if all allies should “pay their way,” Starmer declined to dictate to other nations, stating, ”I wouldn’t sit here in an interview and start telling allies what they must do.”
He emphasized the collective strength of NATO, asserting, “All of our allied countries make a important contribution to our collective defense, and if Putin believed his aggression in Ukraine would weaken NATO, he made a major mistake.”
Starmer highlighted NATO’s increased strength since the Russian invasion, noting the addition of new members and enhanced cooperation through joint training and deployments.
He praised the British military’s efforts, particularly in response to the “constant threat” posed by Russia, stating, “There’s a real recognition for what our teams are doing as part of that NATO deployment.”
While Starmer refused to commit to a 3% defense spending target, he reiterated the government’s pledge to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP. This follows a warning from NATO Secretary general Mark Rutte, who urged NATO members to adopt a wartime mindset and considerably increase spending, citing the “worst” security situation in his lifetime.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves previously stated that Labor coudl not raise defense spending without cuts in other areas.