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Sir Kerr Starmer called the heads of defense for decisive talks about the future form of the armed forces in Britain, where he resists pressure for higher spending in view of narrow public affairs.

People who have been informed of the strategic defense review (SDR), which enter its final stages, the defense heads say they are pushing hard to expand the military budget to deal with Russia and other geopolitical threats.

A person close to the negotiations said: “The presidents want a budget of 2.65 percent of GDP, but the treasury is determined to work by 2.3 percent.” Another official confirmed the gap between the two sides, which reaches about 10 billion pounds annually.

CurtainThe Allied allies say that the Prime Minister will not budge from the commitment of the Labor Party’s commitment to spending a “path” to spend 2.5 percent of Britain’s gross domestic product on the defense. But he refused to say when spending will reach this level, leaving the forces complaining of great pressure in the short term. “There will be real discounts,” said a person close to the conversations.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that European governments should spend much more on the defense, citing 5 percent of GDP.

Francis Tosa, editor -in -chief of the Defense Newsletter, said that Trump’s view may mean that the UK government has “a lower space of maneuver than you believe” in defending spending.

“At the Munich Security Conference this weekend, we will likely see the first group of pressure coming from the United States. The problem for the United Kingdom is when you have a Belcik and Scandinavian countries that re -perform spending on social security towards defense, difficult for the Kingdom United to say, “We cannot do that.”

The meeting between Starmer and the heads of defense, expected in the coming days, has been granted an additional advantage by a Lower Budget Responsibility Office In the initial growth expectations of Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who blew a hole in public financial affairs.

Although the expectations are subject to review before the Riffs Spring statement on March 26, it indicates that its priest is 9.9 billion pounds in exchange for its financial rules announced in its budget last October, which indicates the need for more discounts in spending or increasing Tax.

The previous conservative government said it would reach defense spending by 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030.

While Starmer has committed to increased defense spending from 2.3 percent to 2.5 percent, doing this before the upcoming elections, expected in 2029, will be eaten in rare resources for other party priorities, such as health or education.

People close to this process say there are tensions between Defense Minister John Healy and the heads of defense. But the officials of the Labor Party say that Starmer, Rivis and Haile are determined to retain the calligraphy. “Defense heads call for more defensive spending, shock!” Judicial one.

Some of the closest allies of the UK criticized the hollow British armed forces – including Trump’s former National Security Adviser, HR McMaster, who said last week, “When you look at the British army now. It makes me want to cry.”

“The British army is a professional and very capable army that now lacks the ability to maintain operations,” McMaster told a symposium symposium hosted by the European Policy Analysis Center.

Haley seems to stand with Starmer and Rivis in support of financial self -restraint with senior feet military officials.

A person close to the talks said: “People are accustomed to the idea of ​​pressuring the defense secretaries of the Conservative Party at the number 10 publicly, especially for more spending,” said a person close to the talks. “Healy does not do it – he is behaving as a team player.”

Conservative defense secretaries such as Ben Wallet, Grant Shasab, Javin Williamson, all of them tried the army – and the treatment of right -wing representatives and the media – by publicly calling for increases in military spending.

One of the officials of the Labor Party said: “Everyone has sat in many cabinet meetings, as we discussed our priorities and the narrow money.”

One of Heili’s ally insisted that there is no friction between his opinions and those of military presidents.

A UK government spokesman said: “The strategic defense review is made at a pace to determine the roles, capabilities and reforms required by the defense in the United Kingdom to face challenges, threats and opportunities in the twenty -first century,” a UK government spokesman said.

Additional reports by John Paul Rathbon