Can the British military restore itself in time for a European security crisis?

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major boost to the UK’s defence budget, raising it from the current 2.3% to 2.5% of GDP starting in 2027. The spending hike will be paid for by cutting the British international aid budget, the safeguarding of which was a top commitment for previous governments.

In the longer term, Starmer said, the spending hike will bring the UK’s defence spend to 3% of GDP. That figure is short of the 5% US President Donald Trump has suggested NATO partners should budget for defence, but the UK government’s hope will be that the extra outlay can soften some of his disdain toward the alliance, as well as bolstering British support for Ukraine in particular.

Announcing the new spending, Starmer said the invasion of Ukraine had ended an era of peace in Europe that began with the fall of the Berlin Wall and appealed to the British public to understand that the defence of Ukraine and Europe is inextricable from domestic security.

“I believe we must now change our approach to national security so we are ready to meet the challenges of our volatile world," he said in a speech.

"The reason for this is straightforward: Putin’s aggression does not stop in Ukraine. Russian spy ships menace our waters. Russian planes enter our airspace. Russian cyber-attacks hit our NHS. And just seven years ago, there was a Russian chemical weapons attack in broad daylight on the streets of Salisbury. We can’t hide from this," Starmer said.

“I know people have felt the impact of this conflict through rising bills and prices. But unless Ukraine is properly protected from Putin, then Europe will only become more unstable — and that will hurt us even more," he added.

"Furthermore, the great lesson of our history is that