Trump warns UK and allies to raise defence spending ‘immediately’ | UK | News
The Trump administration has warned NATO allies they must increase defense spending “immediately” or risk facing consequences as leaders prepare to meet for a major alliance summit.
Senior U.S. officials said the President insisted that many member states were still behind on their commitment to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense by 2035. Donald Trump expects countries to accelerate their plans rather than waiting until the deadline.
US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said on Sunday: “Some allies are doing more than others. Poland, the Nordics and the Baltic states are leading the way.”
“But many are falling behind, and President Trump expects all allies to step up immediately and not only get on a sustainable path toward 5 percent, but get to 5 percent as quickly as possible.”
Sir Keir Starmer this week announced a £15bn increase in defense spending; but the package is expected to increase UK defense spending to 2.7 per cent of GDP by 2029; This rate is still far below the target supported by Washington.
It appears that the White House is considering rewarding countries that spend more on defense and punishing those that do not.
Countries that invest more in their armed forces can gain priority access to U.S. arms purchases and enjoy more face-to-face opportunities with President Trump.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has launched a six-month review of the size and readiness of American military forces deployed across Europe.
The assessment could result in the withdrawal of US troops from countries that do not meet defense spending expectations, The Telegraph reported.
Senior administration officials repeated Sunday that failure to meet the 5 percent target would ultimately reduce Europe and Canada’s ability to defend themselves.
They also added that when NATO leaders meet in Ankara this week, Mr. Trump is expected to outline possible consequences for countries that ignore the warning.
The stance risks creating new tensions between Washington and London after Sir Keir indicated there was little room for another major increase in defense spending.
While the Prime Minister announced cuts to planned infrastructure projects to help finance the latest military spending increase, he suggested that Makerfield’s new Labor MP Andy Burnham (who is expected to succeed him) would need to increase borrowing to cover around £5bn of the package.
The Express previously reported that President Trump had doubts about the UK’s ability to reverse years of underinvestment in defence.
The NATO summit is expected to be Sir Keir’s last opportunity to rebuild relations with President Trump before he resigns.
Britain also deployed HMS Prince of Wales off the coast of Iceland as part of a NATO operation designed to deter Russian activities in the High North.
The Royal Navy’s 65,000-ton aircraft carrier operates F-35 fighter jets during NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission, which aims to counter hostile activities in the region.
President Trump is also expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the summit, and the talks are expected to focus on efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
The two leaders had previously met on the sidelines of the G7 summit held in Switzerland in June.
Ukraine has strengthened its position on the battlefield this year and threatened Moscow with drone strikes, U.S. officials said. Over the weekend, Ukrainian forces also targeted electricity substations in occupied Crimea, leaving most of the peninsula without electricity.
“The battlefield has clearly froze over the last few months and neither side is making much progress,” a senior US official said.
“The president feels a real sense of urgency about trying to stop this.”
President Trump’s meeting with NATO leaders comes months after he said continued U.S. participation in the alliance was “beyond reconsideration,” raising new questions about America’s long-term commitment to the organization.
However, alliance members expect this week’s summit to reaffirm support for Article 5, NATO’s collective defense clause, which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all members.
Leaders are also expected to approve a declaration pledging €70bn (£60bn) of military support to Ukraine in 2026, as well as providing at least equivalent aid the following year.
