In a resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer posted on X, Healey said the Treasury had not provided the necessary funds for the planned investment framework meant to put British forces in a state of ‘combat readiness’. He criticised the offered funding as not matching the current threat level.
Healey listed specific dangers: the Middle East conflict, where Britain leads a multinational mission in the Strait of Hormuz; security in the Arctic with the NATO mission ‘Arctic Guardian’; increasing Russian activity against Britain and NATO; and intensified attacks in Ukraine. He also referred to the Paris agreement, which envisions deploying British troops in Ukraine after a ceasefire.
Healey called for raising defence spending to three percent of GDP by 2030 – a NATO target he deems necessary. He recalled Starmer’s own warning that Russia could attack a NATO country by 2030. ‘Without a defence budget that meets today’s demands, I am forced to make decisions that reduce the combat readiness of our forces, increase risk to personnel, and make the country less secure,’ Healey wrote. UK Chief of Defence Richard Knighton also expressed concern about insufficient funding.
Source: www.pravda.com.ua
