The UK is trying to delay the defence spending rise among Nato allies by three years, The i Paper can reveal.
Nato allies will meet next week for a summit at The Hague, in which they are expected to agree a target to increase their defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP to deter Russian aggression.
However, the timeline for the rise has until now been vague.
Nato’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, and the US are both pushing for the increase be complete by 2032, but the UK has proposed a new deadline of 2035 with a review clause in 2029, The i Paper understands.
It is not clear what the clause would include, but would likely give allies an opportunity to push back the deadline if they are not on track.
The UK is leading the charge to delay the increase, backed by Spain which is also unhappy with the rise, diplomatic insiders said.
Some countries in the south of Europe are also understood to be nervous about committing to such a tight timeline for a sharp increase, but most Nato allies are expected to agree to the 2032 deadline during negotiations at the summit next week.
A Government spokesperson said: “We have a strong track record on defence spending and will continue to make a major contribution to Nato.
“Further increases in defence spending will be done in a way that is fully costed and fully funded, but we are clear we must all spend and produce more to make Nato a stronger, fairer and more lethal Alliance.”
British defence spending has been a contentious issue in recent weeks, with a public rift between the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary over the plans.
The UK currently spends 2.3 per cent of GDP on defence, which is due to rise to 2.5 per cent in 2027.
The Government said it has an “ambition” to spend 3 per cent by the 2030s, but has refused to commit to a timeline for doing so.
Keir Starmer shakes hands with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in Downing Street. Rutte warned the UK must increase its defence spending to 5 per cent or ‘learn to speak Russian’ (Photo: Jordan Pettitt/Pool via Reuters)The 62 recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review, an externally led analysis into the state of the UK’s Armed Forces which was accepted by the Government this month, are based on funding reaching 3 per cent in the mid-2030s.
The UK spends more than some Nato allies including Belgium and Canada (both around 1.3 per cent) and less than the US (3.4 per cent) and Baltic countries including Poland (more than 4 per cent).
The target pushed by the US and Nato would be a sharp learning curve for Nato allies, who have been historically slow to up their defence spending.
In 2014, a pledge was agreed in Wales to reach 2 per cent of GDP on defence, and this is still not been met by all allies more than ten years on.
Accept increase or ‘learn to speak Russian’, Nato warns
Rutte said earlier this month that the UK must accept a 5 per cent commitment or “learn to speak Russian”.
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The White House has also demanded that the UK and other allies increase their spending on defence to 5 per cent of GDP in order to deter the threat of a Russian attack.
Donald Trump’s ambassador to Nato, Matthew Whitaker, said this month that current UK and European targets were “not good enough”, warning that the current threat “demands nothing less” than 5 per cent and it “demands it equally from all allies”.
“This is not going to be just a pledge. This is going to be a commitment,” he said.
“Every ally must commit to investing at least 5 per cent of GDP in defence and security, starting now. This is not a suggestion. It’s a baseline.”
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