The United Kingdom is preparing for war.

 

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the country must be put on a “war footing” in the face of growing instability and Russian aggression in the world. As part of a new defense strategy, he announced plans to build 12 attack submarines and invest billions of pounds in nuclear and other weapons.

He made the announcement during a speech in Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday (June 2). The New York Times reports.

Starmer said, “The threat we face now is the most significant, immediate and uncertain since the Cold War. War in Europe, new nuclear risks, daily cyber attacks and Russian aggression in British waters and skies are proof of this.”

He said, “I believe that the best way to prevent conflict is to prepare for it.”

The New York Times report said that Starmer’s announcement came at a time when the war in Ukraine is intensifying, the United States is withdrawing from Europe and tensions are rising around the world. Starmer outlined his plans hours after four air bases inside Russia were hit by drone strikes in Ukraine.

The UK’s defence strategy review, led by former NATO Secretary General George Robertson, includes the purchase of 7,000 long-range British weapons, the creation of a new cyber command and a £1bn investment in digital capabilities.

There are also plans to build drones and increase ammunition stocks, drawing on lessons from the Ukraine war. Another £1.5bn will be spent on improving the housing of service members, to increase recruitment and retention rates. The British army is currently at its lowest level since Napoleon.

Starmer has pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, partly by cutting foreign aid spending. But he said it was not possible to set a specific deadline for reaching 3 per cent.

The new submarines will be built as part of the ‘AUKUS’ alliance with the US and Australia, which will play a role in countering Chinese influence. The government described it as a ‘major shift in deterrence and defence strategy’ in the Euro-Atlantic region.

Starmer also reiterated the UK’s commitment to NATO and the transatlantic relationship. However, the review includes a proposal to buy nuclear-armed fighter jets, which could reduce Britain’s reliance on the American nuclear shadow.

Mike Martin, a UK Liberal Democrat MP and former army officer, said the strategy shows the UK can no longer rely entirely on the US. According to him, the proposal to buy nuclear-armed fighter jets only reinforces this suspicion.