Sunak Commits UK to Spending 2.5% of GDP on Military by 2030
- UK Tories previously said they’d raise spending when possible
- Commitment would add £75b to defense spending over 6 years
Rishi Sunak speaks to soldiers at the RAF Lossiemouth in Moray on December 18 in Lossiemouth, Scotland.
Photographer: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty ImagesRishi Sunak pledged to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by end of the decade, as the prime minister seeks to ease concerns at home and abroad about the level of investment in the British armed forces.
Sunak announced plans to expand military spending from the current level of 2.3% of economic output during a two-day visit to Europe, where he highlighted the UK’s leading role in supporting Ukraine’s resistance against Russia. Speaking in Poland, the prime minister said the move would amount to an additional £75 billion ($93 billion) of expenditure over six years, describing it as the “biggest strengthening of our national defense for a generation.”