The United Kingdom will increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 – National

Great Britain will raise defense expense to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027 and point to three percent in the long term by reducing its development budget abroad, said Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday.

“This government will begin the greatest sustained increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War,” Starmer told Parliament.

The change in Great Britain's defense strategy occurs before Starmer flys to the United States to meet with the president of the United States, Donald Trump, who has repeatedly asked NATO members as Great Britain to spend more on defense.

European leaders were surprised earlier this month when the Trump administration made it clear that Europe would need to take a step forward to provide their own security, which caused an attack of diplomatic activity.

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Starmer said they had to make difficult decisions in the interest of the country's security and that it would finance the highest expense in the army by reducing the 0.5 percent of the GDP to 0.3 percent in 2027.

“We will also establish a clear ambition for defense spending to increase three percent of GDP in the next Parliament,” he added.

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Successive British governments have reduced defense spending since World War II and the Cold War, since they intensified investment in health, well -being and education.

Great Britain spent the last time three percent of GDP in defense in 1993/94.