Ukraine’s war with Russia is a gift that keeps on giving for Western powers, though taking may be a better description. Now comes word that the United Kingdom is perilously low on arms after steadily sending their stockpile to Eastern Europe.
The Minister of State for Defense and Conservative Party member James Cartlidge exposed the harrowing status of the military.
He declared the support for Kyiv’s defense has left Britain struggling to maintain basic stocks of missiles, munitions and tanks. The inventory is depleted after over two years of supplying Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
NEW: Britain is Running Out of Munitions After Arming Ukraine.https://t.co/mv8dnqorLM
— The National Pulse (@TheNatPulse) April 25, 2024
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Tuesday that the nation’s defense industry is now on “war footing” as it struggles to keep up with the demand from Kyiv.
He revealed that by 2030, defense spending will make up 2.5% of the GDP as he pledged another $620 million to Ukraine. He committed another $93 billion for the military over the next six years.
Sunak said the surge in spending is the “biggest strengthening of our national defense for a generation.” It is unclear if he included Kyiv in his description of “our national defense.”
The $93 billion in additional defense funds echoed the previous commitment by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Sunak earlier hedged on that goal by declaring that it would be reached when the economy permitted progress.
The U.S. under former President Donald Trump pushed NATO to increase its defense spending related to GDP. Leaders 10 years ago claimed they would earmark 2% of the GDP of their respective nations to the military, and the war in Ukraine pushed them closer to that goal.
NATO figures showed the U.K.’s defense spending reached a high point in 2020 of 2.35% of GDP.
In 2018, the former president told NATO leaders their nations should be spending 4% of their country’s economic output to protect themselves.
