Defence budget

sir – The recently announced increase in defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP (report, March 13) is a step in the right direction. But it should be at least three times larger.

As it is, it is more likely to be welcomed by Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. If this is the best our Government can come up with in response to the reality of the current world order, it shows how little our leaders understand the scale and immediacy of the threat we face.

We need to be spending at least 5 per cent of GDP on defence to be anywhere near the level required to support Ukraine and contribute to the deterrence of aggressive and expansionary autocracies such as Russia and China. Peace comes at a price, as do our democratic freedoms and way of life, and to avoid a war it needs to be clear that we would win it.

Nick Green Devizes, Wiltshire

sir – In the run-up to the Coronation in May, much will be made of the King’s position as head of the Commonwealth. On its website the Commonwealth is described as 56 countries working together for “prosperity, democracy and peace.” It has a total population of around 2.5 billion people.

However, its role as a promoter of peace and democracy has been brought into question by the recent UN vote on Ukraine, when a number of Commonwealth countries abstained from voting – including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa. These countries together account for more than 75 per cent of the Commonwealth’s total population.

What is the purpose of this association of countries if they will not all pursue the stated aims of their organisation?

Cyril Meadows Leigh, Lancashire