UK Defense Secretary says efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict signal a “new era of threat”

UK Defense Secretary John Healey stated that the ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine signify “a new era of threat,” coinciding with the commencement of US-Russia discussions in Saudi Arabia.

“We are entering a new era of threat, which necessitates a new approach to defense,” Healey remarked during a press briefing in London.

He elaborated on the UK’s defense budget, noting an increase of nearly £3 billion ($3.8 billion) this year, and indicated that the government would soon outline a strategy to allocate 2.5% of GDP to defense spending. However, this figure remains significantly below the 5% of GDP target proposed by the Trump administration.

On Sunday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his willingness to consider deploying British forces on the ground, in collaboration with other nations, should a sustainable peace agreement be reached.

Starmer participated in an emergency summit in Paris with several prominent European leaders to deliberate on a unified response to the potential reduction of the US military presence in Europe.

Healey emphasized, “The choices we make in the coming weeks will not only shape the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine but will also influence global security for generations to come.”