Starmer: UK is moving to war-fighting readiness

The UK is changing into war preparedness mode as part of the new defense strategy, the country's Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed. RIA Novosti is citing his words.

"We are moving to war-fighting readiness as the central purpose of our armed forces. When we are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, the most effective way to deter them is to be ready, and frankly, to show them that we’re ready to deliver peace through strength," Starmer said during a press conference in Glasgow on the government's new strategic defense review. It was broadcast by British television stations.

The UK government will publish a strategic defense review on Monday amid plans to increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. The document will include recommendations on defense policy. The previous review was published in 2021 and was revised after the start of the Ukraine conflict. The recommendations will cover external and internal security issues, London's policy on the Ukrainian conflict, modernization of the armed forces and nuclear doctrine.

The new strategy will consolidate Starmer's announced plan to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. The government will also seek to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP, but has not yet committed to this goal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin explained in detail earlier in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson that Moscow was not going to attack NATO countries, there was no sense in it. The Russian leader noted that Western politicians regularly intimidate their populations with an imaginary Russian threat in order to divert attention from domestic problems, but smart people are well aware that this is a fake.

Russia has in recent years claimed unprecedented NATO activity near Western borders. NATO is expanding initiatives and calls it deterrence of Russian aggression. Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern about the alliance's force buildup in Europe. The Kremlin has noted that Russia is not threatening anyone, but will not ignore actions potentially dangerous to its interests.