NATO Chief Warns UK to Boost Defense Budget

(MENAFN) British citizens may need to prepare to speak Russian if the United Kingdom does not carry out Premier Keir Starmer’s initiative to significantly increase military expenditure, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has warned.

Meanwhile, Russia has rejected accusations that it intends to launch attacks on NATO member states, labeling such assertions as scare tactics by Western leaders.

In the previous week, Prime Minister Starmer introduced his administration’s Strategic Defense Review, which pledges substantial new funding for the production of military equipment, including drones, submarines, and arms manufacturing.

His aim is to transform Britain into “a battle-ready, armor-clad nation with the strongest alliances and the most advanced capabilities.”

Starmer affirmed that the UK’s defense strategy will “always be NATO first.” Nevertheless, he refrained from committing to a specific timeline for achieving the target of raising defense expenditure to 3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

During remarks delivered at Chatham House in London on Monday, Mark Rutte expressed his admiration for Starmer’s defense ambitions, stating he was “really impressed” by the proposals.

When questioned about whether the UK should impose additional taxes to support the military buildup, Rutte responded, “it is not up to me.”

He elaborated by saying, “I mean, what I know is that if we want to keep our societies safe... look, if you do not do this, if you would not go to the 5 percent, including the 3.5 percent core defense spending, you could still have the National Health Service, or in other countries their health systems, the pension system, etc., but you had better learn to speak Russian,” suggesting that without significant investment in defense, Western nations could face serious security risks.

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