Starmer heads into Nato summit under fire as Trump allies demand faster defence spending boost
UK PM Keir Starmer Britain's spending plan faces scrutiny Questions over political transition Trump expected to raise issue directly British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is
UK PM Keir Starmer Britain's spending plan faces scrutiny Questions over political transition Trump expected to raise issue directly British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is heading into this week's Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey on under rising pressure, with senior US officials signalling dissatisfaction over the UK's defence spending plans and warning that alliance members falling behind must accelerate their commitments.The summit, scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara, Turkey, is expected to be one of Starmer's final major international engagements as prime minister.It comes just days after the UK government unveiled its Defence Investment Plan (DIP) on July 3, committing an additional £15 billion to defence while drawing criticism from some Nato allies over the pace of spending increases.Speaking ahead of the summit, Matt Whitaker, the US ambassador to Nato, said some alliance members were not moving quickly enough to strengthen defence spending."Some allies are doing more than others.
Poland, the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries lead the way. But many others are lagging behind," Whitaker was quoted as saying by The Independent.He also added that US President Donald Trump expects all Nato members to move towards the alliance's 5 per cent spending target "as soon as possible."Although Whitaker did not name specific countries, British officials are understood to believe Washington views the UK as among those failing to increase spending rapidly enough.Under the Defence Investment Plan, the UK's defence expenditure is projected to rise gradually from about 2.6 per cent of GDP in 2027 to 2.7 per cent by 2030, with the government aiming to reach 3 per cent during the next parliamentary term.However, Nato members agreed at last year's summit that allies should work towards spending at least 3.5 per cent of GDP
on core defence by 2035, alongside broader security-related investments taking total spending to 5 per cent.Critics argue Britain's current roadmap lacks sufficient urgency to meet those ambitions.The summit also comes amid uncertainty over Britain's political leadership, with speculation that Andy Burnham could soon replace Starmer as prime minister.New Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has called for the next government to provide a clearer funding path towards Nato's long-term spending target, saying future spending reviews should demonstrate a credible trajectory towards 3.5 per cent of GDP.Jarvis also said he had already been in touch with Burnham's team to discuss defence priorities and expressed confidence that sufficient resources would be made available if Burnham takes office.According to British media reports, Whitehall officials expect Trump to personally press Starmer over defence spending during the summit.A senior US official was quoted
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