British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday advocated for a plan that would see the UK make its biggest increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War, build new nuclear-powered attack submarines, and become "a battle-ready, armor-clad nation." Starmer was blunt about the main instigator of the move: Britain "cannot ignore the threat that Russia poses ... The threat we face is more serious, more immediate, and more unpredictable than at any time since the Cold War." More:
- The numbers: Should Parliament give the plan the green light—it is expected to do so—defense spending would rise from 2.3% of GDP to 2.5% by 2027, with a goal of reaching 3% of GDP in the following parliamentary term. The plans come in response to a strategic defense review that had been commissioned by Starmer.