NATO Chief Welcomes UK Defense Spending Plan

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the United Kingdom’s plan to increase defense spending, saying a stronger British military would enhance security across the Alliance.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that defense spending would rise to nearly £80bn (about $105.85bn) a year by 2029. Starmer said the increase would put the country on a path to raising military spending to 3% of gross domestic product.

Rutte wrote on X that he welcomed the announcement, calling it a positive step toward the Alliance’s goal of spending 3.5% of GDP on defense, which NATO allies agreed at last year’s summit in The Hague.

(Reuters, bak)