Sunak announces transfer of British defense spending to 'war footing'
Archival photo: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Britain will put its defense spending on a "war footing". The reason for this is the experience of the war in Ukraine, stated British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
According to Sunak, he has three priorities for defense spending. They are going to be put on a "war footing," and the reason for this is the lessons of the war in Ukraine.
Britain needs deeper stockpiles of ammunition and the industry should be able to replenish them faster. That is why Britain is providing £10 billion for arms manufacturers to give the industry the certainty of long-term funding backed by long-term contracts. This will allow them to produce more weapons and be prepared for increased capacity.
Sunak also stated that Britain plans to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030. The British Prime Minister called for increased investment in Ukraine, as it restrains Russia and prevents Vladimir Putin from going further.
Increase in defense funding in Western countries
Due to Russian aggression in Ukraine and the potential attack on NATO members, Western countries have begun allocating more funds for defense needs.
In March, President of the European Council Charles Michel said that the European Union should switch to a war economy because of possible future threats from the Russian Federation.
Recently, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, sent a letter to the leaders of NATO member countries, proposing to increase defense spending from 2 to 3% of GDP.
Meanwhile, Norway plans to double its defense spending over the next 12 years. The country aims to adapt to threats from Russia.
