British billions boost for defense puts pressure on other NATO countries

The war in Ukraine has completely turned the European priority list upside down. The call for large-scale investments in defense is becoming increasingly louder. Last month, European President Charles Michel even called on member states to switch to a war economy. “It is time to take responsibility for our own safety. We can no longer lean on others or depend on election cycles in the United States or elsewhere,” he wrote in an open letter.

The letter was received with applause, especially in the member states bordering Russia. Investments in defense are skyrocketing there. In Poland, military spending increased by 75 percent last year. The Finns added half, according to the annual report of Sipri, the peace research institute in Stockholm.

The British are also now taking out their wallets. During a two-day visit to Poland and Germany, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the United Kingdom would put its economy on a war footing. According to Sunak, one of the most important lessons from the war in Ukraine is that military stockpiles are not large enough. “Our industry must also be able to replenish supplies more quickly,” he said in Warsaw, in the presence of NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.

Place on the European stage

Sunak announced that the United Kingdom will invest 75 billion pounds (87 billion euros) in its defense over the next six years. This means that the country will spend 2.5 percent of GDP on defense by 2030. According to Sunak, it is the “biggest investment in strengthening Britain’s defense in a generation”. The intention is that 10 billion will be released to produce ammunition.

With the announcement, Sunak sends a double signal. The war in Ukraine has once again made the British more important on the European stage. After Brexit, the UK once again sought its place on the world stage. The Brexiteers dreamed that the country would again take the lead geopolitically, but that hardly succeeded. Until the war in Ukraine suddenly increased the specific weight of the UK. The British military and intelligence services are still among the best equipped, especially compared to the major EU countries.

Sunak is trying to strengthen that leading position. It is no coincidence that the British Prime Minister said that this investment sets a standard for the other major NATO countries. He also pointed out that European countries cannot continue to hide behind the broad back of the US. From the start of the Russian invasion, London established itself as one of Kiev’s closest allies. After the US and Germany, the UK has provided the most military support to Ukraine. This year, £3 billion will go to Ukraine, half a billion more than last year.

Elections approaching

But the announcement is also intended for domestic use. Sunak must call an election this year. According to the polls, he will lose with flying colors. He must therefore show that he is a strong leader, especially now that Labor promises in its election manifesto that it also wants to invest massively in defense, including in the modernization of the nuclear arsenal. Labor wants to increase defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP, although party leader Keir Starmer added that the country’s financial situation must allow this. Sunak was therefore also under pressure from his own Defense Minister and the army leadership. They have been sounding the alarm about the state of the army for some time now.

The question remains where all that money will come from. The British economy is still suffering from Brexit. Only since January has there been slight growth again and the government also wants to reduce taxes with the elections approaching. But Sunak’s announcement will certainly be well received among Conservative voters. In a recent poll, a majority of them said they would prefer investments in defense over a tax cut.