UK yet to commit to Nato plan for rise in defence spending to 3.5% of GDP | Defence policy

Britain has still not committed to an increase in defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by the mid-2030s at this month’s Nato summit in line with a proposal from the alliance’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, defence sources said.

Though Rutte visited Downing Street on Monday and expressed confidence afterwards that countries would sign up, senior insiders said Britain was dragging its heels.

One accused No 10 of “having its head in the sand”, and said Britain had been caught out by the unexpected willingness of countries such as Italy, Belgium and Canada – traditionally laggards on defence spending – to sign up.

Rutte’s proposal, devised in response to pressure from Donald Trump, is for Nato allies to agree to dramatically lift core military spending to 3.5% of GDP in the 2030s,…