Brussels, June 2 (LaPresse) – The United Kingdom "cannot ignore the threat posed by Russia," which is why it is committed to making the most radical changes to British defense since the end of the Cold War. This was stated by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a speech on the UK's defense plans in Scotland. The prime minister gave his approval to a strategic defense review that "will mobilize the nation toward a common cause" as the UK moves toward "war readiness," reports The Times.
"We must recognize that the world has changed. With greater instability than we have had for many, many years, and more severe threats," Starmer told the BBC.
The announcements include the construction of "up to 12" nuclear-powered submarines with conventional weapons as part of the AUKUS partnership with Australia and the United States. The government also states it will invest $15 billion in the UK's nuclear arsenal, consisting of missiles carried by a handful of submarines. Additionally, the government will increase British conventional weapon stockpiles with a maximum of 7,000 long-range weapons manufactured in the UK.
Starmer said that rearmament would create a "defense dividend" in the form of well-paid jobs, contrasting with the post-Cold War "peace dividend" when Western nations redirected funds from defense to other sectors.
This marks the first such review of British defense plans since 2021.
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