BBC News

UK needs 'credible path' on defence spending, says Nato chief Rutte

Conservatives

Our plan to increase defence spending

GOV.UK

PM meeting with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte: 16 September 2026

NATO

The Hague Summit Declaration

The Independent

Nato chief warns UK needs credible path to hit defence spending target amid Russia threat

Counterfire

No To Militarisation And Conscription Welfare Not Warfare

Global Campaign on Military Spending UK

Governments military spending risks us all

Transforming Society

Transforming Society ~ Defence vs welfare: Why this is a false choice in UK politics

Kemi calls for defence spending increase

The Standard

Nato chief: UK needs credible path of yearly hikes to hit defence spending goal

The Times (UK)

Andy Burnham refuses to commit to 3% defence spending by 2030

Financial Times

Healey to shelve his own defence spending target of 3% of GDP by 2030

Healeys budget to ditch 3% defence spending target by 2030

UK Parliament

Engagements

NATO Secretary General visits the United Kingdom

The Telegraph

Nato chief: Burnham must increase defence spending every year

"NATO 3.0: Why rebalancing the transatlantic relationship matters"

Rishi Sunak

Institute for Government

Grant Shapps

Kevan Jones

John Healey

Paul Johnson

Torsten Bell

Ben Zaranko

Full Fact

How Much Will the UK Increase Defense Spending By?

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Thursday that the U.K. needs a "credible path" to spending 3.5% of GDP on core defense by 2035, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2025/nato-allies-commit-to-defense-spending-despite-divisions">as agreed at the Hague Summit</a>, telling the Press Association: "You cannot spend it today, but you can also not wait 'til 2035."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Thursday that the U.K. needs a "credible path" to spending 3.5% of GDP on core defense by 2035, as agreed at the Hague Summit, telling the Press Association: "You cannot spend it today, but you can also not wait 'til 2035."

Reiterating the message to the BBC, Rutte added he was "absolutely confident" British ministers accepted the 3.5% goal and the need for annual increments, but warned it would mean making "tough decisions."

Reiterating the message to the BBC, Rutte added he was "absolutely confident" British ministers accepted the 3.5% goal and the need for annual increments, but warned it would mean making "tough decisions."

It comes days after Rutte met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Didcot on Wednesday, before holding talks on Thursday with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Defense Secretary Wes Streeting.

It comes days after Rutte met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Didcot on Wednesday, before holding talks on Thursday with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Defense Secretary Wes Streeting.

During his visit, he also delivered the Annual Lecture at The Ditchley Foundation in Oxfordshire, where Rutte claimed NATO faces the "most dangerous and complex security environment in a generation" and that collective defense will not be credible without more investment.

During his visit, he also delivered the Annual Lecture at The Ditchley Foundation in Oxfordshire, where Rutte claimed NATO faces the "most dangerous and complex security environment in a generation" and that collective defense will not be credible without more investment.

The Treasury, however, confirmed in August that Chancellor John Healey will not commit to his target of allocating 3% of GDP to defense by 2030 in the upcoming Autumn Budget, instead reportedly focusing on a roughly £5 billion ($6.7 billion) defense equipment funding gap.

The Treasury, however, confirmed in August that Chancellor John Healey will not commit to his target of allocating 3% of GDP to defense by 2030 in the upcoming Autumn Budget, instead reportedly focusing on a roughly £5 billion ($6.7 billion) defense equipment funding gap.

Burnham has similarly refrained from committing to the 3% target by 2030 and has stressed that national security "cannot come at the expense of social security." The government will set out a plan to reach 3.5% by 2035 at the next spending review.

Burnham has similarly refrained from committing to the 3% target by 2030 and has stressed that national security "cannot come at the expense of social security." The government will set out a plan to reach 3.5% by 2035 at the next spending review.

BBC News #

Conservatives #

GOV.UK #

NATO #

The Independent #

Counterfire #

Global Campaign on Military Spending UK #

Transforming Society #

The Standard #

The Times (UK) #

Financial Times #

LBC #

UK Parliament #

The Telegraph #

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday that Britain needs a "credible path" of yearly increases toward spending 3.5% of GDP on core defense by 2035, telling the Press Association: "You cannot spend it today, but you can also not wait 'til 2035."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday that Britain needs a "credible path" of yearly increases toward spending 3.5% of GDP on core defense by 2035, telling the Press Association: "You cannot spend it today, but you can also not wait 'til 2035."

Rutte told the BBC he was "absolutely confident" British ministers accept the 3.5% goal and the need for annual increments, adding the target cannot be met "in one go in 2034" and that the exact pathway will follow next year's spending review.

guardian

Rutte told the BBC he was "absolutely confident" British ministers accept the 3.5% goal and the need for annual increments, adding the target cannot be met "in one go in 2034" and that the exact pathway will follow next year's spending review.

Rutte met Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Didcot, then held talks Thursday with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, and spoke at an Atlantic Partnership event.

Rutte met Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Didcot, then held talks Thursday with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, and spoke at an Atlantic Partnership event.

Delivering the Annual Lecture at The Ditchley Foundation in Oxfordshire on Wednesday, Rutte said the alliance faces the "most dangerous and complex security environment in a generation" and that collective defense will not be credible without more investment.

Anadolu

Delivering the Annual Lecture at The Ditchley Foundation in Oxfordshire on Wednesday, Rutte said the alliance faces the "most dangerous and complex security environment in a generation" and that collective defense will not be credible without more investment.

The Treasury has confirmed Chancellor John Healey will not commit to his own target of 3% of GDP on defense by 2030 in his Oct. 28 Budget, which will instead focus on filling a nearly 5 billion pound defense equipment funding gap.

The Treasury has confirmed Chancellor John Healey will not commit to his own target of 3% of GDP on defense by 2030 in his Oct. 28 Budget, which will instead focus on filling a nearly 5 billion pound defense equipment funding gap.

UK defense spending is budgeted to reach 2.7% of GDP by 2027-28. Burnham has said national security "can't come at the expense of social security" and that a plan to reach 3.5% by 2035 will be set out at the spending review.

UK defense spending is budgeted to reach 2.7% of GDP by 2027-28. Burnham has said national security "can't come at the expense of social security" and that a plan to reach 3.5% by 2035 will be set out at the spending review.

Russia could hit NATO by 2030, and Britain is sleepwalking into it with a late, underfunded Defence Investment Plan that made a defense secretary quit rather than sign off on it. Hitting 3% of GDP by 2030 is the bare minimum, and every year of delay hands Moscow another invitation. The money is there if welfare is cut, because a ballooning benefits bill cannot come before keeping the country alive.

Russia could hit NATO by 2030, and Britain is sleepwalking into it with a late, underfunded Defence Investment Plan that made a defense secretary quit rather than sign off on it. Hitting 3% of GDP by 2030 is the bare minimum, and every year of delay hands Moscow another invitation. The money is there if welfare is cut, because a ballooning benefits bill cannot come before keeping the country alive.

Pouring another 15 billion pounds into weapons, including 64 billion on nuclear bombs, while gutting transport and climate budgets is a recipe for catastrophe, not safety. Arming and escalating has prolonged the bloodshed in Ukraine and pushed nuclear confrontation closer, and more missiles will not reverse that. Military spending is jobs-poor, so the real security investment is health care, wages and peace talks.

Pouring another 15 billion pounds into weapons, including 64 billion on nuclear bombs, while gutting transport and climate budgets is a recipe for catastrophe, not safety. Arming and escalating has prolonged the bloodshed in Ukraine and pushed nuclear confrontation closer, and more missiles will not reverse that. Military spending is jobs-poor, so the real security investment is health care, wages and peace talks.

United Kingdom

Military spending

Defence against welfare is a rigged choice, and Britain shouldn't fall for it. Gutting public services to buy hardware leaves a poorer, more divided country that hostile states can exploit from within, which is why security has to include housing, health and decent incomes. Fund the military properly on a credible path to 3.5% by 2035, but not by pushing families into poverty.

Defence against welfare is a rigged choice, and Britain shouldn't fall for it. Gutting public services to buy hardware leaves a poorer, more divided country that hostile states can exploit from within, which is why security has to include housing, health and decent incomes. Fund the military properly on a credible path to 3.5% by 2035, but not by pushing families into poverty.

The government has been repeatedly warned that Russia could hit NATO by 2030, and it still has no funded plan to rearm. Hitting 3% of GDP by 2030 is the bare minimum; anything later would arrive after an attack. The money exists: cap welfare, scrap the Chagos giveaway and stop pretending an ever-expanding benefits bill matters more than national survival.

The government has been repeatedly warned that Russia could hit NATO by 2030, and it still has no funded plan to rearm. Hitting 3% of GDP by 2030 is the bare minimum; anything later would arrive after an attack. The money exists: cap welfare, scrap the Chagos giveaway and stop pretending an ever-expanding benefits bill matters more than national survival.

Pouring billions more into weapons, including nuclear bombs, while gutting transport and climate budgets is a recipe for catastrophe. Arming and escalating has prolonged the bloodshed in Ukraine and pushed nuclear confrontation closer, and more missiles will not reverse that. If we want a more secure world, the government must invest in health care, wages and peace talks.

Pouring billions more into weapons, including nuclear bombs, while gutting transport and climate budgets is a recipe for catastrophe. Arming and escalating has prolonged the bloodshed in Ukraine and pushed nuclear confrontation closer, and more missiles will not reverse that. If we want a more secure world, the government must invest in health care, wages and peace talks.

Rutte Presses UK for 'Credible Path' to 3.5% on Defense

Rutte Presses UK needsfor 'credibleCredible pathPath' onto defence3.5% spending,on says Nato chief RutteDefense

The Spin

The Controversies

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Rutte Presses UK for 'Credible Path' to 3.5% on Defense

Rutte Presses UK needsfor 'credibleCredible pathPath' onto defence3.5% spending,on says Nato chief RutteDefense

The Spin

The Controversies

Sign Up for Our Free NewslettersSign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters