Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson last night led a chorus of Conservatives calling for Sir Keir Starmer to increase defence spending.
Speaking from Kyiv on the third anniversary of the start of the conflict, he demanded a rise to at least three per cent of GDP to help guarantee European security against Russian aggression.
The ex-Conservative Party leader and former PM said: ‘We should get to three per cent [of GDP] by 2030, 2.5 per cent is not enough.’
Mr Johnson also called for UK troops to deploy to Ukraine as part of a post-conflict stabilisation force. He said such a move would ‘annihilate President Putin’s claims to control Ukraine.’
However, the Kremlin has stated repeatedly it is strongly opposed to any NATO member states occupying Ukraine following a ceasefire.
It came as former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt called for Britain to slash the welfare budget to it can match what the United States spends on defence.
Mr Hunt said reducing welfare payments to pre-pandemic levels would save £40 billion over the next five years – which could be enough to boost defence spending to 3.4 per cent of GDP.
Going toe to toe with the United States would impress President Donald Trump who wants to pull out tens of thousands of his troops from Europe.
Boris Johnson called for UK troops to deploy to Ukraine as part of a post-conflict stabilisation force as well as force defence spending to be increased to three per cent of GDP
Sir Keir Starmer’s challenge of ensuring US membership of NATO has been described as ‘probably the defining strategic call of his time as Prime Minister’
Speaking on Radio 4’s The World at One, Mr Hunt said he had dealt with President Trump during his first term and described him as ‘very transactional’.
Former head of the British Army, Lord Dannatt, also called for defence spending, currently at 2.3 per cent of GDP to be increased to more than 3.0 per cent.
Mr Hunt said: ‘I think the only way we can get to 3.4 per cent of GDP, which would be logical as this is what the US spends, is through some serious reform of the welfare system which is out of control.
‘If we reduced the numbers of welfare recipients to pre-pandemic levels, to what we spent in 2019, that would save £40 billion over the next five-year fiscal period.’
Mr Hunt added that such an increase was required to convince President Trump to remain committed to NATO. At the moment he wants to leave because he thinks the US is being ripped off.
The former Chancellor described Sir Keir Starmer’s challenge of ensuring US membership of NATO as ‘probably the defining strategic call of his time as Prime Minister’.
He added that, as it stands, the defence of Europe in response to a scenario such as Russia invading a Baltic state, was ‘not credible’ without the United States.
Mr Hunt said: ‘We are very inter-related with the United States. It has control of NATO command structures, provides huge numbers of troops and air cover.
‘If for example President Putin wanted to take out a NATO member such as Estonia or Latvia, the defence of Europe would not be credible without the US.
‘It could define Sir Keir Starmer’s time as Prime Minister whether he is able to keep the US anchored in NATO despite immense pressure from the Trump presidency.
‘But if Europe gets its act together over defence spending, then the US’s partnership with Europe will become one of equals and President Trump will be more enthused about NATO.
Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt said that the only way defence spending could be increased to more than three per cent is through reforming the welfare system
The Tory MP said that, as it stands, defence of Europe in response to a scenario such as Russia invading a Baltic state, was ‘not credible’ without the United States
‘This is where Britain can play a lead role. Because where we go others follow. I’m sure if we go to 3.4 per cent then France and Germany will decided to do likewise.’
Lord Dannatt, former head of the British Army, saying Zelensky has very good reason to be ‘upset’ on the third anniversary of the war, mainly due to Donald Trump’s stance.
He said yesterday that Trump’s attempt to do a bilateral deal with Putin over Zelensky’s head gave the Ukrainian president every right to be upset.
On defence spending, Lord Dannatt said that in ‘quantum terms’, 2.5 per cent of GDP was not enough and the UK should spend more than 3 per cent.
