UK Agrees to Increase Defence Spending to 5 Percent by 2035

The government has warned that UK must prepare for potential direct threats to homeland for first time in decades.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer holds a press conference at the end of the NATO 75th anniversary summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, on July 11, 2024. Stefan Rousseau/Getty Images

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged that the UK will boost defence spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035 to meet a NATO target.

The commitment comes as the leaders of all 32 NATO member countries met in The Hague on Tuesday for a two-day summit.