During the first week, as Prime Minister, I traveled to the Washington Summit for 75 years of the NATO alliance. My message was simple. The fact that the government I lead always sets the safety of our country.
It’s something I’ve been thinking about in recent weeks. We have moved to the new era to the National Security of the UK. A new era of global uncertainty, directed by Vladimir Putin’s nasty, full -fledged attack on Ukraine.
I remember the Berlin Wall came down as a young man. It felt like our entire continent was merged behind the values of freedom and democracy. If you had told me at the time that one day we would see Russian tanks again moving into European cities, I would never have believed you.
Still, it is, of course, exactly what happened three years ago. It has made the world a more dangerous place. Russia, Northern Korea, Iran – now we are now targeting enemies who would extinguish the light of democracy as it is an opportunity. And they are more and more ready to work together to threaten our interests.
This is an important point. Putin’s aggression does not end with the borders of Ukraine. It threatens us here at home. After all, it is only seven years since he launched a chemical weapon attack in Salisbury, in the heart of Central English. Russian spy ships threaten our waters. The machines penetrate the airspace. Information network attacks are launched by NHS, threatening lives.
We cannot hide this threat. I know that people working have already known the Russian raw influence through rising invoices and prices. But unless Ukraine is properly protected from Putin, Europe will only become more unstable. It hurts us even more.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer gave his statement on defense and safety in the lower room
In addition, as our history shows, tyrants, such as Putin, reacted only to the effect. So so we have to fill out this new era test – strongly.
It begins with our alliance. I do not believe, as some people claim that the UK must make a choice between Europe and America. In national security, the United States is our most important ally. The transition from this relationship would be our history and the national interest of the national national interest.
However, President Trump is right to claim that European nations must take greater responsibility for our security. The UK should play a leading role here. So today I will announce the biggest growth of defense expenditure after the end of the Cold War.
We will complete our manifest for our commitment to spend 2.5 percent of GDP to defense by the end of this Parliament. But given the serious threats, we are now reaching this goal earlier in 2027.
Given the gravity of the threat we face, however, the boring truth is that we have to go further than this. More responsibility for our safety is not a short -term challenge. It’s for generations. So, under financial circumstances, we also set a clear goal to increase defense expenditure to 3 % of GDP in the next Parliament.
This is an opportunity. Higher defense expenditure will help increase the economy and raise the standard of living in all areas, which is a defining task for our change plan. In fact, there is a promise of industrial renaissance. The first test of our defense policy is always whether it keeps the country safe. But the other now becomes whether it provides employment security for employment people.
We need universities that are more involved in defense research. Acquisition used to increase supply chains. Defense expenditure is translated into British jobs, Great Britain growth, UK skills and British innovation. In short, national security has now become ‘all social’ efforts. We make sure it happens.
This can only be financed by actual choices. As ever, Tory claims that they had a plan for higher defense expenditure, which simply do not fall. They wanted to spend money. But they were not ready to meet the demands required.
This government comes. We finance higher military expenses by reducing the budget of foreign development from 0.5 % of national income to 0.3 %.

Sir Keir Starmer visits the way in NATO’s forward -facing position in Estonia near the Russian border
This is not the announcement I make lightly. Britain has a proud tradition as a power in the world. We will continue to play a role where we can be the most effective, such as in war -suffering areas such as Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza.
But the realities of a dangerous new era mean that hard power must now be a priority. The national security of our country must always be a priority.
I said it to the country during the elections. That’s what I will tell President Trump later this week. And I’m what I do today to get Britain to secure at home and strong abroad.
We meet tyranny and violence in a decisive and powerful way.