WARSAW
\nBritain will raise defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030 in a \u201cmost dangerous\u201d world, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Tuesday during a visit to Poland.
\nThe commitment came as NATO countries face pressure to raise defense spending in the face of global threats, particularly from Russia.
\n\u201cIn a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War, we cannot be complacent,\u201d Sunak told reporters in Warsaw, where he held a press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
\nThe increase in spending from 2.3 percent will see the UK become one of the highest spenders on defense in the 32-member defense alliance after the United States, the British government said.
\nIt means the UK is expected to spend \u00a387 billion on defense in 2030-31, an increase of \u00a323 billion over current levels.
\n\u201cI believe we must do more to defend our country, our interests, and our values,\u201d Sunak said, announcing \u201cthe biggest strengthening of national defense for a generation.\u201d
\nWestern nations are under pressure to boost defense funding following Moscow\u2019s invasion of its neighbor Ukraine as well as the threat of escalation in the Middle East.
\nEU chief Ursula von der Leyen recently called for a \u201cEuropean awakening on defense and security.\u201d
\nBrussels is set to come up with more proposals for financing the defense push by a summit of EU leaders in June.
\nSunak has also faced calls from his Conservative Party to boost defense spending, with some calling for a level of three percent of GDP.
\nOn Tuesday, Sunak also announced \u00a3500 million additional funding for Ukraine\u2019s war effort against Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WARSAW Britain will raise defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030 in a \u201cmost dangerous\u201d world, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Tuesday during a visit to Poland. The commitment came as NATO countries face pressure to raise defense spending in the face of global threats, particularly from Russia. \u201cIn a world that is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":308891,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-402250","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n