Keir Starmer to meet head of Nato amid speculation over spending commitments
Mark Rutte will visit Sheffield Forgemasters with Defence Secretary John Healey, and give a speech at Chatham House.
Sir Keir Starmer will meet the head of Nato next week, amid suggestions that the alliance will call for countries to spend more on defence.
The Prime Minister is likely to raise the question of how “we can ensure all allies meet their stated pledges in support of our collective defence”, when he meets secretary general Mark Rutte on Monday, Downing Street has said.
Mr Rutte is thought to be pushing for members to commit to spending 3.5% on the military, with a further 1.5% on defence-related measures.
As well as his talks with Sir Keir, the former Dutch prime minister will visit Sheffield Forgemasters with Defence Secretary John Healey, and give a speech at Chatham House.
“The two leaders have spoken a number of times and this will be the second time that Mr Rutte has visited the Prime Minister at Downing Street,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Thursday.
“You can expect the Prime Minister to raise how we can ensure all allies meet their stated pledges in support of our collective defence, to keep people safe,” the spokesman later added.
He said: “It is worth recognising the UK’s track record on spending and indeed our contribution to Nato, both in terms of our spending and our capabilities.”
The visit comes ahead of alliance leaders meeting in The Hague later this month.
Sir Keir Starmer has committed to spend 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence from April 2027, with a goal of increasing that to 3% over the next parliament, a timetable which could stretch to 2034.
However, he and the Defence Secretary have already come under pressure to explain how the 3% target could be met.
Nato’s current demand for members’ defence spending is 2% of GDP, but Mr Rutte said earlier this week that allies will find themselves “in great difficulty” in the coming years if they stick to that.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Rutte said: “The expectation is that on the European side of Nato and the Canadian side of Nato, if we think that we can keep ourselves safe sticking with the 2%, forget it.
“Yes, the next three to five years, but then we are in great difficulty.
“And the US rightly expects us to spend much more to defend ourselves with their help, but also to equalise, which is only fair with what the US is spending on defence.”
Speaking on Thursday as Nato allies met in Brussels, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said he believed there would be “almost near consensus on a 5% commitment for Nato in the Hague later this month”.
A few countries are “not quite there yet”, he said, and while he said he would not name any names, he proceeded to suggest France, Germany, the Baltic and Nordic countries, Poland, Greece and Hungary were among those who had committed to 5%.
Mr Hegseth added: “We need our allies here in Europe and in Canada to step up even more, to step up and take the lead, to recognise the defence of the continent as a core mission.”