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Starmer Announces £15bn Defence Boost; Trump Slams UK Spending

7/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

Sir Keir Starmer announced a £15 billion Defence Investment Plan to raise UK defence spending to 4.2 percent of GDP.
President Donald Trump, echoed by former NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen, called the UK a low-spender and warned it must meet NATO’s spending targets.
British ambassador Christian Turner said the £63 billion nuclear-security fund includes 12 F-35A jets, at least 15 percent built in the UK, supporting 160 000 American jobs.

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Story summary

Sir Keir Starmer announced a £15 billion Defence Investment Plan to raise UK defence spending to 4.2 percent of GDP.
President Donald Trump, echoed by former NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen, called the UK a low-spender and warned it must meet NATO’s spending targets.
British ambassador Christian Turner said the £63 billion nuclear-security fund includes 12 F-35A jets, at least 15 percent built in the UK, supporting 160 000 American jobs.