UK's Rishi Sunak pledges to boost defense budget by $6Bln over 2 Years
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The remaining funds will be used to "replenish and bolster our munitions stockpiles to replace items given to Ukraine," according to the UK PM's plan.
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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attends a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron as part of the Franco-British Summit held at Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Friday, March 10, 2023. (AP)
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced an increase of 5 billion pounds ($6 billion) in the nation's defense budget over the next two years amid the growing challenges for national security.
Sunak stated that the world had become more volatile, raising the threats to the UK's security, during his speech on the United States Midway museum ship in the Californian port on Sunday, according to the media.
"And that’s why we’re investing £5 billion more in our world-beating armed forces over the next two years and increasing our defense spending to 2.5% of GDP so we can continue to be a world leader when it comes to defense and keeping our country safe," the prime minister said, as quoted by Belfast Telegraph newspaper.
Read next: UK Defense spending to shrink in real terms due to high inflation
Media reported that the British defense spending in 2021-2022 amounted to 71.4 billion pounds, adding that UK Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace had earlier urged an increase to the country's defense budget by 8-11 billion pounds.
An additional 5 billion pounds will enable the UK to increase defense spending to 2.25% of GDP by 2025, up from 2% in 2020.
The developments coincide with the United Kingdom's growing worry about the effects of the war in Ukraine, as well as increased militarization in the Indo-Pacific region.
A small national defense budget
NATO officials quoted by the Telegraph reported yesterday that a small national defense budget for the UK would certainly do away with defense secretary Ben Wallace's hopes of succeeding Jens Stoltenberg as NATO secretary general next fall.
"If he doesn't get a good increase, it is likely that the next secretary-general will come from elsewhere. Other countries are seriously increasing their defense spending," a source told the British Daily.
France, Germany, and Poland have already announced significant increases in their military spending. The UK has been modest with its military spending, weary of inflation.
According to the Telegraph, France wants the next NATO secretary general to be from an EU nation, like Poland.
The Lithuanian and Estonian prime ministers have also been proposed as potential candidates, however, many have expressed concerns over a Polish or Baltic NATO secretary general, worried that this would exacerbate the already hostile relations with Russia.
'No more money'
A senior US general reportedly told UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace in January that the British army was no longer considered a top-level fighting force.
According to unnamed defense sources quoted by Sky News in February, the UK Treasury has no additional funds for the nation's defense despite admitting the urgent need to rearm in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
The UK will not provide as many troops as the other NATO members desire for the alliance's key new military structure, which is intended to reinforce its defenses, they also said.
Downing Street had already been urged to increase the defense budget by a minimum of £3 billion ($3.6 billion) a year and halt plans to decrease the size of the UK army.
