Starmer’s hastily assembled proposal paid for with the low-hanging fruit of overseas aid does not allay the demands of the military chiefs who met with him earlier this month in Downing Street.

Starmer announces UK government bringing forward target to hit 2.5% defense spending A rift is emerging between the east and west of the EU over what to do with Russia’s seized central bank reserves. State-backed North Korean hackers have stolen $1.5bn (£1.2bn) of cryptocurrency in the largest heist in history.

The PM will head to Washington a day after announcing military budgets would rise to 2.5% of national income by 2027.

British defence spending will reach 2.5% of GDP by 2027, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday, setting out the country's biggest sustained increase in its defence budget since the end of the Cold War.

The PM will head to Washington a day after announcing military budgets would rise to 2.5% of national income by 2027.