Current UK and European targets are “not good enough” and the White House expects Nato countries to dramatically increase spending, US ambassador Matthew Whitaker said.
“This is not going to be just a pledge. This is going to be a commitment. Every ally must commit to investing at least 5 per cent of GDP in defence and security, starting now. This is not a suggestion. It’s a baseline.”
While Whitaker did not specifically mention the UK, No 10 has said only that it will spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2027 and 3 per cent in the future.
Negotiations are ongoing over when the 5 per cent level should be met, Whitaker said, but European defence insiders expect this to be around 2032.
President Donald Trump has previously said allies must meet the threshold of 5 per cent defence spending (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
Since Donald Trump was re-elected as US President in November, 20 allies have announced increases to their defence budget, Whitaker said, with all Nato members expected to spend 2 per cent this year.
The UK currently spends 2.3 per cent of GDP on defence, more than some Nato allies including Belgium and Canada (both around 1.3 per cent) and less than the US (3.4 per cent) and Baltic countries including Poland (more than 4 per cent).
“As the Russia-Ukraine conflict grinds on, Moscow is already preparing for its next move. We are already seeing the Kremlin aims to rebuild its military,” Whitaker said.
The comments come after a public rift within the Government over spending on the Armed Forces.
Later, defence insiders told The i Paper that the UK would have to commit to 3.5 per cent at this month’s Nato conference, despite not having a plan for funding the rise.
The Conservatives have criticised Labour as relying on “fantasy funding” for its defence plans.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been under pressure to give a timeline for defence spending. (Photo: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)Whitaker said that the US expects every Nato ally “to step up with concrete plans, budgets, timlines deliverables to meet the 5 per cent target and close credibility gaps.”
Whitaker suggested that additional money spent on support for Ukraine could count towards the target, saying that allies would “get credit” from support given to Kyiv.
The ambassador also said that Nato needed to “turbocharge” its collective defense industrial base to “produce more more munitions, more air defense, more heavy armour and faster” and that this investment would yield economic benefits as well as security assurances.
With the Russian economy on a war footing, they said the danger was that Moscow would eventually try to test Nato in Europe. “If they have built all that up, the question mark is probably not if but when – if they don’t see a strong opponent in Europe.”
US still committed to Nato – but wants more from Europe
Trump has previously said he would invite Russia to invade any Nato ally which did not spend enough on defence, and threatened to leave the alliance altogether.
Whitaker told The i Paper that despite Trump’s rhetoric, the US remains commited to Nato – but expected more from allies in return.
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“More than 10 years since the Wales pledge [in which Nato members committed to spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence], we’re only now reaching the point where all of the allies are fulfilling that obligation.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said that the UK is already the third-highest spender in Nato in cash terms behind the United States and Germany and is are one of 22 allies of the 32 in Nato that already exceed the 2 per cent of GDP Nato target.
“Whether it is our nuclear capability, whether it’s our world-class carriers with fifth-generation combat aircraft, our armed forces who are some of the most advanced in the world, the UK has been a leading contributor to Nato and will remain one.”
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