Starmer's gift to Trump: more military spending at the expense of foreign aid

LondonLondon's fulfillment gift to Washington. With a dramatic speech, Remembering the invasion of Ukraine three years ago and the risks Europe faces from Vladimir Putin's Russia, Keir Starmer appeared in Downing Street on Tuesday to announce that his government will increase investment in defence to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, and that by the end of 2030, the level will be 3%. Starmer thus embraces the traditional "if you want peace, prepare for war."

In a context of zero or almost zero growth in the United Kingdom, of continuous increase in energy prices, and with the pressure of an opposition that fights any attempt to raise taxes, Starmer's solution to finance this extraordinary war effort has been to reduce the foreign aid package. It will go from the current 0.5% to 0.3% of GDP. The decision has been highly criticized by activists and entities that see cooperation with developing countries as another way to provide stability and security to the international community, instead of resorting to the usual increase in the military budget. "As Labour Prime Minister I have taken a decision I would not have wanted to take. Cutting humanitarian aid to increase military spending. But let us fight for peace," he stressed.

Starmer's announcement The meeting took place 48 hours before he is due to meet Donald Trump at the White House. Starmer had appeared in the Commons at midday, where he acknowledged that the new investment in arms and defence was the "largest sustained increase since the Cold War". premier He has justified "a very difficult decision" by saying that "the world has changed and a generational response is required." From 2027, the country will allocate 13.4 billion pounds more per year to the security chapter. And he wanted to help citizens swallow the toad by assuring that all this will mean new "British [economic] growth, British jobs, new British skills and British innovation."

New relations with Washington

The Prime Minister will therefore arrive in Washington accepting the fait accompli policy imposed by the US President and his change of course in relation to the war in Ukraine, and offering him the sacrifice of London. The initiative is part of the The same representation that was carried out this Monday by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to show Europe's commitment to the defence of Ukraine, but above all, also to force Trump's hand so that the hypothetical presence of European troops in Ukraine, once peace is signed, would have the logistical support of the United States. A support that would be fundamental, from the point of view of air protection, for example. This Monday, Trump, however, did not speak out.

After returning from Washington, Starmer will meet this weekend in London with a group of European leaders to continue discussions on how to approach the new stage in the transatlantic relationship that the Trump presidency has opened. In this sense, Starmer has assured that the United Kingdom would play its role in any security guarantee if peace is reached.