Starmer urges EU leaders to increase defence spending

Sir Keir Starmer will place security and defence at the heart of his post-Brexit reset with the EU, calling on leaders in Brussels to stand together and double down on their support for Ukraine.

- ARCHIE MITCHELL

At a meeting with EU heads of state in Brussels today, the prime minister will challenge Britain’s European allies to ramp up their defence spending to keep the continent safe from Vladimir Putin’s “campaign of sabotage and destruction”.

Sir Keir will call on European leaders to keep up the pressure on Putin by standing firm with sanctions that have crippled the Russian economy since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. And he will tell allies to keep up military support to Ukraine, ensuring Volodymyr Zelensky is in the strongest position possible as Donald Trump’s return to the White House increases the prospect of a negotiated end to the war.

Backing Mr Trump’s demands for Nato members to significantly boost their spending on defence, Sir Keir will say: “We need to see all allies stepping up – particularly in Europe.” The PM has promised to raise Britain’s defence spending to 2.5 per cent of the overall size of the economy (GDP) but has come under pressure to set out a timeline of when the UK will reach the milestone.