Defence secretary denies Trump is reason for UK defence spending boost

Defence Secretary John Healey has denied Donald Trump is the reason UK defence spending is being increased to 2.5% of GDP.

Asked by Wilfred Frost on Sky News Breakfast whether it is fair to say the UK would not be boosting defence spending if it were not for the US president, Mr Healey said: “No, it’s not.”

He said the government yesterday announced it was increasing defence spending from the current 2.3% to 2.5% by 2027 – funded by cuts to the foreign aid budget – “because the world has changed”.

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Mr Healey said: “Donald Trump has certainly been very direct in his challenge. He’s played a part, of course he has. He’s reinforced the importance and the imperative of doing that.”

On Tuesday, Sir Keir Starmer admitted his decision to increase defence spending was “accelerated” by Mr Trump taking office.

He said the announcement was “three years in the making” after Russia invaded Ukraine, but said a “very changed context” pushed him forward.

However, he denied Mr Trump was effectively setting UK government policy, saying the defence spending increase was “very much my decision” and he had been “arguing for some time” that Europe and the UK “needed to do more”.

Since returning to power in January, Mr Trump has said Europe needs to spend more on defence – and the US less.

He has also called Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections”, and the US held talks on Ukraine with Russia in Saudi Arabia without Kyiv’s involvement.

On Wednesday, a Ukrainian government source told Sky News Kyiv has agreed terms with the US on a rare earth minerals deal after Mr Trump demanded reparations for its assistance to Ukraine in the war.

Mr Trump said Mr Zelenskyy will likely visit the White House on Friday – a day after Sir Keir will be there – to sign the deal.

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The deal no longer contains an initial demand by the US for a right to $500bn (£394bn) in potential revenue from the resources.

Mr Zelenskyy had previously described such a high price as not being a “serious” conversation.

The document also does not provide a commitment from Washington to give security guarantees to Ukraine in the wake of any ceasefire deal with Vladimir Putin – something Kyiv desperately needs and has been asking for.

The accord, once signed, could unlock a new long-term partnership between Kyiv and Mr Trump’s White House after weeks of increasingly tense exchanges.