LONDON — Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Feb. 16 urged the United Kingdom to “step up” its defense and security posture to deter what he described as the ongoing threat of Russian aggression, warning that even a potential peace settlement in Ukraine would not eliminate long-term risks.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Ukraine–Russia conflict, the Prime Minister emphasized that vigilance remains essential.
“Even if a peace agreement is reached, it will not extinguish the Russian threat, and we need to be alert to that,” Starmer said. “That means on defense spending, we need to go faster.”
UK Commits to Historic NATO Spending Target
The United Kingdom has committed to meeting NATO’s new defense spending benchmark of 5 percent of GDP by 2035, up from the previous 2 percent target agreed among allies. The new target was adopted at the NATO summit in June 2025 and reflects growing concern among member states over long-term security challenges.
Starmer underscored the importance of reinforcing NATO, including strengthening what he described as a more robust “European NATO” within the alliance framework.
“NATO has been the most successful military alliance the world has ever seen,” he said. “Countries which, across the continent, used to be on the battlefield against each other for centuries now stand together ready to defend each other. That is what we must build on.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed that the United Kingdom is prepared to demonstrate leadership in advancing collective security.
Coordinated European Defense Effort
Starmer’s remarks follow a joint public appeal by senior defense leaders from the UK and Germany calling for increased military preparedness. In a Feb. 15 letter published in The Guardian and Die Welt, UK Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton and German Chief of Defence Gen. Carsten Breuer urged the public to support enhanced rearmament efforts.
“Moscow’s military buildup, combined with its willingness to wage war on our continent, as painfully evidenced in Ukraine, represents an increased risk that demands our collective attention,” the defense chiefs wrote.
Russia, which launched its invasion of eastern Ukraine in February 2022, has repeatedly denied intentions to initiate broader conflict with Europe or NATO.
Deepening UK–EU Security Cooperation
During remarks at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, Starmer called for closer cooperation between the UK and the European Union in defense, industry, technology, and political coordination.
“There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain,” he said, according to an official transcript.
While advocating stronger European coordination, the Prime Minister stressed that transatlantic ties remain indispensable.
“The United States remains an indispensable power,” Starmer said. “Its contribution to European security over 80 years is unparalleled. At the same time, we recognize that Europe must take primary responsibility for its own defense.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also speaking at the Munich conference, reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to NATO while encouraging European allies to strengthen their own capabilities.
“We want allies who can defend themselves so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength,” Rubio said.
The Pentagon’s recently released National Defense Strategy outlines a greater emphasis on homeland defense and encourages partners, including European allies, to assume primary responsibility for regional security with limited U.S. support.
European leaders have acknowledged the shift. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas recently stated that Europe must “step up” to safeguard its own defense posture.
