British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a joint press conference with the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg at the military base in Warsaw announced that the U.K. will be spending 2.5% of its GDP on defense by 2030. “In a world that’s the most dangerous it’s been since the end of the Cold War, we cannot and must not be complacent,” Sunak stressed.
“Today, I am announcing the biggest strengthening of our natural defense for a generation. We will increase defense spending to a new baseline of 2.5% of GDP by 2030. That starts today, and rises steadily in each and every year.” The British PM said. He also said that over the next few years, Britain will invest 75 billion pounds for defense purposes.
Sunak stressed that the world has entered a particularly dangerous period in recent history, where we now have an excess of authoritarian states working in tandem to undermine Western values.We’re taking defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 23, 2024
The biggest strengthening of our national defence for a generation. pic.twitter.com/JLaqRqSKWE
“An excess of authoritarian states with different values to ours like Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China are increasingly assertive. The danger they pose is not new, but what is new is that these countries and all their proxies are causing more instability more quickly in more places at once. And they are increasingly acting together making common cause in an attempt to reshape the world order,” Sunak said.
He also mentioned that the British people must not to succumb to the false notion that such countries do not pose a direct threat to British security, reminding that all these nations have been involved in orchestrating anti-state activities within the British borders.
“Russia has already poisoned people on British soil with chemical weapons, caused energy bills to soar, weaponized migration, and sent technology to Iran in exchange for weapons like the Shahed drones…. Iran themselves have threatened to kill and kidnap people within our borders for exercising their right to free speech, and used proxies like the houthis to attack British ships in the Red Sea, disrupting supplies of crucial goods to our high streets. North Korea too is supplying ammunition and artillery to Russia and their hackers have targeted British businesses and the NHS [British healthcare system-TVP World]... Chinese state-affiliated actors have conducted malicious cyber campaigns against British MPS,” he said.
He also mentioned that the British people must not to succumb to the false notion that such countries do not pose a direct threat to British security, reminding that all these nations have been involved in orchestrating anti-state activities within the British borders.
“Russia has already poisoned people on British soil with chemical weapons, caused energy bills to soar, weaponized migration, and sent technology to Iran in exchange for weapons like the Shahed drones…. Iran themselves have threatened to kill and kidnap people within our borders for exercising their right to free speech, and used proxies like the houthis to attack British ships in the Red Sea, disrupting supplies of crucial goods to our high streets. North Korea too is supplying ammunition and artillery to Russia and their hackers have targeted British businesses and the NHS [British healthcare system-TVP World]... Chinese state-affiliated actors have conducted malicious cyber campaigns against British MPS,” he said.
China attempting to reshape the world
Sunak said that Chinese activities in the Indo-Pacific could have an impact on the global economy far larger even than Covid, adding that “China is increasingly working with others to try and reshape the world.”
“ The new assertiveness of these authoritarian states far from our shores must concern us because they are increasingly acting together against the fundamental values that we all hold dear, of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law,” he said. He, however, stressed the importance of not overstating the danger. “We are not on the brink of war, and nor do we seek it. And people should feel reassured that the U.K.’s armed forces are some of the most professional, well-trained, well-equipped, and battle-readied in the world… I am incredibly proud of all they have achieved,” Sunak continued.
“We did not choose this moment, but it falls to us to meet it. In a world of increasing threats, we must show our enemies that we are resolute and determined,” he concluded.
Sunak said that Chinese activities in the Indo-Pacific could have an impact on the global economy far larger even than Covid, adding that “China is increasingly working with others to try and reshape the world.”
“ The new assertiveness of these authoritarian states far from our shores must concern us because they are increasingly acting together against the fundamental values that we all hold dear, of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law,” he said. He, however, stressed the importance of not overstating the danger. “We are not on the brink of war, and nor do we seek it. And people should feel reassured that the U.K.’s armed forces are some of the most professional, well-trained, well-equipped, and battle-readied in the world… I am incredibly proud of all they have achieved,” Sunak continued.
“We did not choose this moment, but it falls to us to meet it. In a world of increasing threats, we must show our enemies that we are resolute and determined,” he concluded.
Source: TVP World
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