WARSAW, Poland (AFP) — Britain will raise defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 in a "most dangerous" world, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Tuesday during a visit to Poland where he also announced £500 million ($617 million) in new funding for Ukraine.
The commitment came as NATO countries face pressure to raise defense spending in the face of global threats, particularly from Russia.
"In a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War, we cannot be complacent," Sunak told reporters in Warsaw, where he held a news conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
The increase in spending from 2.3% will see the U.K. become one of the highest spenders in the 32-member defense alliance after the United States, the British government said.
It means the U.K. is expected to spend £87 billion on defense in 2030-31, an increase of £23 billion over current levels.
"I believe we must do more to defend our country, our interests, and our values," Sunak said, announcing "the biggest strengthening of national defense for a generation."
Sunak arrived in Warsaw on Tuesday for talks with Polish premier Donald Tusk and Stoltenberg that will focus on Ukraine and wider European security.
While in Poland's capital, the British prime minister will announce £500 million ($617 million) in additional military funding for Kyiv in its more-than two-year battle against Russia's full-scale invasion, his Downing Street office said in a statement.
"Defending Ukraine against Russia's brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border," Sunak said ahead of the trip.
A Downing Street spokesperson said Sunak spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier on Tuesday "to assure him of the U.K.'s steadfast support for Ukraine's defense."
"He confirmed that the U.K. would provide an additional £500 million in immediate funding to support the highest priority capabilities, including further ammunition, air defense and drones," the spokesperson said.
On the plane to Warsaw, Sunak told reporters he discussed Ukraine's air defense needs with Zelenskyy.
"You'll see that package that we've announced today is the single biggest package that we've ever announced in one day," Sunak added.
Zelenskyy has thanked the British leader, saying on social media he was grateful "for such a strong demonstration of support and for the willingness to further develop our defense cooperation."
Missiles, armored vehicles
Sunak's visit to Eastern Europe comes as Kyiv pleads with allies to ramp up supplies of ammunition and air defenses to repel Russian attacks.
Western countries are also under pressure to boost spending on their own defense in the face of Russian threats.
Ukraine has for months struggled with a growing shortage of ammunition, with Europe struggling to provide weaponry as Ukrainian forces get pushed back along the front line.
U.S. lawmakers eased the pressure last weekend by unblocking a $61-billion military aid package for Kyiv following six months of political wrangling.
But EU defence and foreign ministers insist that Europe must still speed up its deliveries of arms to Ukraine.
Germany has answered Kyiv's call in recent days by saying it would send an extra Patriot air defense system to Ukraine.
Stoltenberg said last week that he expected more NATO countries to make announcements on fresh air defenses for Kyiv "soon."
During his trip, Sunak will announce the U.K.'s "largest-ever single package of equipment" for Ukraine's war effort.
It will include more than 1,600 strike and air defense missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles.
He will also pledge more than 400 vehicles, including armored ones, and nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
Sky Shield
Ukraine has asked especially for seven more advanced Patriot systems capable of shooting down Russia's hypersonic missiles — but is keen to get any help it can.
Six nations in the EU — Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain — have the U.S.-designed systems.
Sunak will then travel to Germany where he will meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Wednesday.
The German government has led a push to bolster NATO's air defenses in Europe amid Russia's relentless missile strikes on Ukraine.
Berlin has urged allies to buy deterrence systems together and the U.K. is among some 20 countries to have signed up to Germany's common air defense project, the European Sky Shield Initiative.
The project would involve joint procurement for short-, medium- and long-range systems, including the German-made Iris-T, the American Patriot system and the U.S.-Israeli Arrow 3.
France has so far declined to sign up to the pact, with officials there arguing instead for an air defense system using European equipment.
Tusk only announced last week that Poland, which has seen Russian missiles enter its airspace, intended to join.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen recently warned EU leaders to boost defense spending.
Brussels has put forward a 1.5-billion-euro ($1.6-billion) strategy to step up defense production, but officials say this is nowhere near sufficient.
By PETER HUTCHISON Agence France-Presse
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