Former Home Secretary Priti Patel has called for Britain to take a leading role in boosting defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP amid growing pressure on European nations to strengthen their security commitments.
Speaking to GB News, Patel emphasised the Conservative Party's costed plan to increase military spending, highlighting the need for British leadership in defence matters.
These discussions take place against a backdrop of heightened US pressure on European allies to shoulder greater responsibility for their own security arrangements.
Defence Secretary John Healey has announced a major shake-up of defence spending, emphasising the need for Britain to focus on "war readiness and deterrence".
Priti Patel has called for Britain to take a leading role in boosting defence spending
GB News
In a significant Westminster speech, Healey declared: "At this time, we must rearm Britain."
Speaking to GB News, Patel said: "First of all, we're just reading about this in the papers, and I've read this this morning to we don't know the details.
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"Also it is premature because General Kellogg, who is the US special envoy to Ukraine, is in Ukraine today.
"And he will be effectively hopefully going to the front line and meeting President Zelenskyy and others to get a better understanding as to what's needed.
"I actually think Britain's leadership role should be number one, increasing our defence spending. My party put forward a plan in the run up to the last general election to increase military spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP.
"It's a costed plan and we would work with the government to deliver that. I think when it comes to speculation about troops and things of that nature, first and foremost, as His Majesty's opposition would need to scrutinise the government and ask many more questions about the details of this.
"What I don't think is acceptable is that we see briefings in newspapers just speculating about this. We need to have proper substance, proper details, and quite frankly, we need to be part of those discussions and conversations.
"But I think it's far too early. Our focus should be on security and defence spending increases, and would work with the government to ensure that we could actually get to the sustainable levels and look at how we can increase our industrial base, our military capacity, look at new technology when it comes to defence and security.
"I want to see this government stepping up in that area."
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of the ex-Soviet state in February 2022, with the conflict raging on following annexations and heavy losses on both sides.
Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump have clashed
REUTERSTrump said: "Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelensky, talked the United States of America into spending $350billion, to go into a war that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a war that he, without the US and 'TRUMP', will never be able to settle.
"The United States has spent $200bn more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back.
"Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand equalisation, in that this war is far more important to Europe than it is to us — We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation."
