北约秘书长敦促英国制定国防预算逐年增长计划

北约秘书长马克·吕特访英期间敦促英国政府必须制定"可信的路径"逐年增加国防预算1。吕特与英国总理安迪·伯纳姆和防长韦斯·斯特里廷会面，强调英国需要在2035年中期前将国防支出提升至国内生产总值的3.5%，相比现有水平增加约300亿英镑1。

吕特明确指出，英国不能等到2034年才突击达成目标，而是必须逐步实现这一目标1。英国当前的支出计划仅至2028/9年度维持在2.7%，远低于最终目标1。吕特在迪奇利园的演讲中警告，北约正面临"一代人中最危险和最复杂的安全环境"1。具体如何弥补国防支出与最终目标之间的差距，将在明年的政府支出审查中确定1。

英国首相基尔·斯塔默曾在2025年夏天美国总统唐纳德·特朗普的压力下，签署了北约范围内的防务支出目标1。前任防长约翰·希利曾在2023年6月因斯塔默政府不愿承诺到2030年将国防支出增至GDP的3%而辞职1。

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on Britain to establish a "credible path" of year-on-year defence budget increases to meet the alliance's target of 3.5 percent of GDP spending by the middle of 2035, a rise of approximately £30 billion from current levels1. During his visit to Britain, Rutte met with Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting to press the case for incremental progress rather than a last-minute surge to meet the goal1.

The current British defence spending plan extends only to 2028/29, at which point spending will remain at 2.7 percent of GDP—well short of the final target1. Rutte emphasized that Britain cannot delay until 2034 before making a dramatic push to reach 3.5 percent, stating the nation needs "a credible path to 3.5 percent, and annual increases"1. How the gap will be closed depends on the government's spending review planned for next year1. Prime Minister Keir Starmer committed to the NATO target in the summer of 2025 under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump1, though the path to achieving it remains unclear. The defence spending commitment has proven contentious in recent years; former Defence Secretary John Healey resigned in June 2023 after Starmer declined to pledge a rise to 3 percent by 20301.