Russia could attack NATO “as early as 2030”, warned British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stressing Britain's determination to develop its military capabilities to be prepared for such a scenario, reported Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
“According to the assessment of our intelligence services, as well as other NATO countries, there could be a Russian attack on NATO as early as 2030”, said the head of the Labor government during a visit to a defense industry plant in Wiltshire.
“It is no exaggeration to say that we are living in the most dangerous and unpredictable period of our lifetime”, Starmer added, stressing that it was his government's "responsibility" to "be ready".
The warning echoes that of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said in December that Russia "could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years".
The UK, whose defence capabilities have been weakened by reduced defence investment, has pledged to increase its military spending in the coming years. The Prime Minister announced that the government would publish its defense investment plan “before the NATO summit“ scheduled for early July.
The plan was initially expected to be presented in the autumn of 2025, but its finalization has been delayed due to tighter budget constraints related to the economic consequences of the war in the Middle East.
Several senior military leaders and former commanders have expressed concern about the delay, believing that it sends a bad signal to the British defense industry and to London's NATO allies.
Today, the head of the British armed forces, Richard Knighton, warned that the country “must spend more on its defense — faster”. Russia is “probing, challenging and testing our defences,” he stressed.
“We must be prepared for potentially longer and larger-scale conflicts, such as we are seeing in Ukraine,” he added, urging more investment in drones and other unmanned systems.
The UK has committed to increasing its military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 (an increase that includes intelligence) and to 3% after 2029.