Britain’s new Defence Secretary is meeting his Nato counterparts at “a moment of challenge” today as he arrives in Brussels without a Defence Investment Plan.
Dan Jarvis is meeting other Nato defence chiefs at the alliance’s headquarters, just a day after Nato chief Mark Rutte said he expected all member states to soon present “clear, concrete and credible plans” for raising defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035.
Mr Jarvis’ predecessor John Healey resigned last week amid a dispute at the heart of Government over the Dip, claiming the plan was only due to provide £13. billion extra investment in defence – far short of the £28 billion target over four years.
In brief remarks to the press upon his arrival in Brussels, Mr Jarvis said it was “a huge honour to be appointed by the Prime Minister last week”.
“It’s very clear to me, as the new Defence Secretary for the United Kingdom, that this is a moment of challenge,” he said.
“The international security is incredibly challenging, and that’s why this gathering here today is so particularly important.”
He said Nato allies must continue to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and bolster the alliance’s collective deterrence capabilities.
“Of course we want to work very closely with our European allies in terms of our own collective security, both for Europe and for the United Kingdom”.
The commitment Nato members are expected to meet by 2035 is split into a 3.5 per cent GDP core defence spending commitment, and a 1.5 per cent GDP commitment to wider resilience spending.
Mr Healey’s resignation letter delivered to the Commons on Tuesday suggested the UK was only on course to spend 2.68 per cent of GDP on core defence by 2030 as a result of commitments in the Dip.
The Dip remains unpublished after Mr Healey’s exit, although ministers insist it will be released before the Nato leaders’ summit in Ankara, Turkey, which begins on July 7.
In a challenge to Nato members issued on Wednesday, Mr Rutte said: “Ahead of the summit in Ankara, allies will highlight how they’re delivering on commitments made in The Hague last year.
“Investing 5 per cent of GDP in defence by 2035. That’s what we agreed.
“So, I expect nations to present clear, concrete and credible plans to reach that goal.
“Ideally, well ahead of the agreed timeline. And many are already showing that they are doing exactly that.”
Speaking to reporters on about Mr Rutte’s challenge, Labour minister Louise Sandher-Jones said Britain will show Nato its “strong commitment” to defence.
She claimed this would be achieved by emphasising what it had already delivered, which she described as the “biggest increase in defence spending in a very long time”.
However, Mr Healey told Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in his resignation letter he has been “untenable”, and the Treasury has been “unwilling” to “commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats”.
