British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured this Saturday that the Government will present its renewed defense spending plan before the next NATO summit in Ankara (Turkey), scheduled for July 7, begins.
Starmer conveyed this guarantee to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during their telephone conversation today, which largely focused on this military investment program. The plan is key to implementing the Alliance's objective assumed by Starmer himself, which foresees raising defense spending from 2.6% of GDP in 2027 to 3.5% in 2035.
In this call, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his promise to reach 3% of GDP allocated to defense in the next Parliament, emphasizing that "national security will remain the Government's top priority, supported by the strict decisions necessary to achieve it," according to the statement released by Downing Street.
This debate comes after Defense Minister John Healey announced his resignation on Thursday amid an internal clash over the level of military spending in the country, denouncing that insufficient funds are being allocated to ensure the protection of British territory.
Healey made his resignation letter, sent to the British Prime Minister, public on social media amid a deadlock in negotiations between the Defense and Finance departments on how to finance the expansion of the military budget, a disagreement that has ended up delaying the approval of the Defense Investment Plan.