Talks ongoing over Nato defence target, says No 10

Discussions are ongoing astir Nato spending targets, Downing Street has said, arsenic the UK faces unit from allies to summation its defence investment.

The authorities plans to summation subject spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of nationalist income by 2027, and has acceptable an ambition to past summation it to 3% by 2034.

The summation volition money plans to determination the UK to "war-fighting readiness", arsenic outlined successful the government's strategical reappraisal of defence connected Monday.

But Nato main Mark Rutte is pushing for members of the subject confederation to perpetrate 5% towards defence-related spending astatine a acme this month.

Rutte has projected that Nato's 32 members should perpetrate to spending 3.5% connected hard defence, and 1.5% connected broader information areas, specified arsenic cyber, by 2032, according to Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

Some eastbound European and Nordic countries person already said they volition marque pledges to summation defence spending to that level, successful the run-up to the acme successful the Netherlands connected 24 June.

US President Donald Trump has demanded that Nato allies ramp up their subject spending, and Rutte has been urging members to conscionable the people of 3.5% connected hard defence up of the June meeting.

When asked if the UK would conscionable the 3.5% target, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK's committedness to Nato was "unshakable".

"We're already the 3rd highest contributor successful currency presumption to Nato," the spokesperson said.

"There volition ever beryllium discussions astir contributions earlier a conference."

The spokesperson said the government's defence reappraisal "sets retired a program to conscionable the threats we look and proceed to pb successful Nato".

The reappraisal described the UK's defence argumentation arsenic a Nato-first approach.

The run-up to the review's merchandise was dominated by a governmental enactment implicit erstwhile the authorities should pledge to conscionable its 3% spending target.

The Labour authorities says it wants to deed the people by 2034 astatine the latest, aft the adjacent wide election.

But the Conservatives and Reform UK accidental the summation to that level should hap by the extremity of the decade.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has estimated that reaching 3% of GDP by 2030 would outgo the UK authorities an further £17.3bn.

A further uplift to 3.5% of GDP would person implications for the government's spending plans.

In February, the premier curate said helium would chopped the overseas assistance fund to money a boost successful subject spending.

In an interrogation with the BBC connected Monday, Sir Keir said helium would not enactment a day connected erstwhile the UK would conscionable the 3% target, arguing to bash truthful without an thought of however it would beryllium paid for would beryllium "performative phantasy politics".

Later that day, successful effect to a question astatine a quality conference, Sir Keir said: "There are discussions astir what the publication should beryllium going into the Nato league successful 2 oregon 3 weeks' time."

President Trump has agelong complained that allies bash not wage capable towards their corporate defence, and threatened the US would discontinue Nato implicit payments successful 2018.

European countries person accrued their spending since Russia's penetration of Ukraine successful 2022.

But Rutte, who has met Trump successful caller months, wants Nato members to spell further.

Last month, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said: "Rutte has sent a missive to each Nato members to accidental that helium expects that the committedness astatine the Nato acme volition beryllium 3.5% connected hard subject spending, to beryllium reached successful 2032, and 1.5% connected related spending specified arsenic connected infrastructure, cyber security, and akin things besides to beryllium reached by 2032."