Mark Rutte, secretary general of NATO, has emphasized that the United Kingdom must establish a clear roadmap for year-over-year increases in defence expenditure to meet the alliance’s target of 3.5% of GDP by the middle of the next decade. In remarks made during a visit to Britain, Rutte stressed that the financial commitment cannot be achieved through a single payment near 2035 but must be accomplished through incremental steps.
Rutte conveyed this message during separate meetings with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband. Current defence spending projections extend through 2028/9 and level off at 2.7% of GDP, leaving a gap of approximately £30bn from the ultimate target. The path to closing this gap remains unclear, with questions surrounding whether additional taxation, increased borrowing, or cuts to other government programs would be necessary.
The 3.5% spending commitment was adopted by the UK in summer 2025 following pressure from the United States. Former Defence Secretary John Healey, now serving as chancellor, had previously resigned from his ministerial position in June after the prime minister declined to commit to reaching 3% spending by 2030. Since assuming his new role, Healey and Burnham have avoided specifying interim spending benchmarks, deferring detailed planning to a government spending review scheduled for the following year.
Rutte stated confidence that the Burnham administration endorses both the ultimate objective and the necessity for gradual spending increases, though he acknowledged uncertainty about the specific contours of any proposed pathway. His public engagement on the matter reflects broader NATO concerns about defence capacity amid what the alliance characterizes as an exceptionally challenging global security landscape, encompassing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East alongside heightened interstate competition.
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