Dispute over NATO editions: Great Britain increases defense expenditure to 2.5 percent

British Prime Minister Keir Strandmer announced a significantly faster increase in defense spending shortly before his meeting with US President Donald Trump. Until 2027, Great Britain will increase expenses to 2.5 percent of the gross domestic product, said Straßer in London. After 2029, a further increase should follow to 3 percent. This is to be financed by reducing development aid.

The head of government will travel to Washington on Wednesday, and the meeting with Trump is planned on Thursday. So far, the British defense spending is around 2.3 percent, in the financial year 2023/24 £ 53.9 billion (around 65 billion euros) was invested. An increase to 2.5 percent means additional expenditure of £ 13.4 billion per year, said Straßer.

“Stunned”: cuts in development aid

The decision to shorten the expenditure for development aid from 0.5 percent of gross national income to 0.3 percent caused significant criticism in Great Britain. The organization “Save the Children” said that it was “stunned” that the step was a “betrayal of the most in need of protection”. In the United States, the Trump government recently announced massive cuts in the development aid authority USAID.

Strander said the decision to redistribute was “difficult and painful”. He ordered the increase in defense spending in response to the “tyrant” (Vladimir) Putin. That is what the country needed in the sign of Russian attack on Ukraine, said Strandmer. “And that’s what this government will deliver.” Russia is a threat “in our waters, in our airspace and on our streets,” said the premier.

Trump had recently demanded several times that the NATO-allies should spend five instead of at least two percent of their gross domestic product for defense. The German quota last was around 2.1 percent.