Russian invasion prompts fresh calls to increase defence spending

Former Army chief and sea lord both say invest in size and capabilities as Armed Forces now smallest ever

VLADIMIR PUTIN’S invasion of Ukraine has sparked a major new push for increased defence spending in Britain, with a former head of the Army calling on ministers to reverse troop cuts and senior Tories pushing for an overall increase in funding.

Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, has repeatedly said that defence spending should be directly linked to the threats that the UK faces – suggesting he may now lead a push for additional funds to face down the threat Mr Putin is seen to pose to the Baltic states.

The renewed lobbying by MPs and former Army chiefs came as Mr Wallace said Britain will organise the delivery of lethal and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and defence companies were contacted by the Department for International Trade and asked what equipment can be made immediately available.

Gen Lord Dannatt, a former chief of the general staff, said the UK needed to cease “cutting the size of the Army any further” and warned that “it is not just the size, it is the capabilities within the Army that need major reinvestment”.

His intervention comes after last year’s Integrated Review into Defence slashed troops by 10,000, making the Army the smallest in history at 72,500.

Lord Dannatt said the UK needed to invest more money in armoured land warfare capability, as well as in artillery and air defences.

“If Putin’s incursion into Ukraine has shown anything, it is that our adversaries such as Russia have a modern capability that we cannot match,” he warned.

Lord West, the former first sea lord, said not only did more need to be spent, but added it was “ridiculous” that the Government announced last year that it would cut troops by 10,000. He said: “We should reverse cuts in the Army, speed up the build rates of the frigates we are supposed to be building and we should be looking at a minimum of 3 per cent of GDP for defence.”

Their pleas were echoed by senior Tory MPs, many of whom also want the Government to increase defence spending from its current level of 2.2 per cent of GDP to at least 3 per cent.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, urged the Government to “review troop cuts in light of Russian aggression”. “We should ask is now the right time to do this, or should we focus on the direct threat?” he said. “We have to be very careful that cutting troops does not send the wrong message.”

Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, said: “Our Armed Forces are the smallest in decades. Our Army is at its smallest in 200 years. This is no time to cut back.”

‘It’s right that not just Britain, but all Nato countries, increase defence spending’

‘Our allies like America are shaking their heads in disbelief and our adversaries are smiling’

Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the defence select committee, warned that the world was “moving into a new era of instability for which Russian aggression forms just one part”.

“It’s absolutely right that not just Britain, but all Nato countries, increase defence spending,” he said.

Lord Dannatt added: “As the leading military member within Nato this is just not acceptable. Our allies like Americans are shaking their heads in disbelief at our lack of investment and our adversaries are smiling to themselves.” Following a teleconference of potential military donors to Ukraine on Friday, Mr Wallace said: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and are pursuing every option to support them against Putin’s unprovoked and illegal invasion.

“I’m so pleased that so many nations are coming forward with humanitarian and military aid.”

More than 25 nations attended, including the US and Canada and some countries outside Nato, to coordinate support for Ukraine. Sweden and Finland attended, ignoring threats by Russia that the countries’ consideration of Nato membership would have “serious military and political consequences”.

A defence source said: “They will continue to give humanitarian and military support, which includes ammunition and anti-tank weapons. The UK has offered to conduct logistics operations to support the delivery of donations.”

The Netherlands was on the call, after which the country pledged 200 Stinger man-portable air-defence rockets. Alongside ammunition and weapons such as anti-tank missiles, medical supplies and other humanitarian aid will be sent. Yesterday, it emerged Germany was approving 400 rocket propelled grenade launchers by a third country – a shift in policy after Berlin faced criticism for refusing to send weapons to Kyiv, unlike other Western allies.

The Ministry of Defence is working with Nato allies near Ukraine to organise storage and distribution.