UK puts its defense industry on ‘war footing’ and gives Ukraine $620 million in new military aid

By VANESSA GERA and SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The U.K. prime minister says the country is putting its defense industry on a “war footing” by increasing defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by the end of the decade. Rishi Sunak also pledges to send arms worth $620 million to Ukraine. A decade ago, NATO leaders agreed to commit 2% of GDP to defense spending. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has given that effort new urgency. NATO data shows that the U.K.’s defense spending as a percentage of GDP last year was ahead of countries including France and Germany but behind Poland, the U.S., Estonia and others.