Keir Starmer has announced he will cut the foreign aid budget in order to hike defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP just a day before he jets to Washington for a crunch meeting with Donald Trump.
The US President has repeatedly called for Nato countries such as Britain to significantly bolster their armed forces, as he seeks to negotiate an end to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sir Keir will hope the spending boost will placate Mr Trump, who wants Europe to be less reliant on the US for support.
But the Tories have already slammed the figure as “no longer sufficient” to deal with the threats the UK faces.
Sir Keir said he would fund the increase in defence spending by slashing funding for overseas aid from 0.5% of national income to 0.3% by 2027.
The move, which he said he was not “happy” with, will allow him to meet the defence spending target by the same year, he said, as he also unveiled a new target to spend 3% of GDP by 2034.
The PM told MPs that “tyrants” like Russian President Vladimir Putin “only respond to strength”.
Sir Keir said: “We should not pretend that any of this has been easy. Working people have already felt the cost of Russian actions through rising prices and bills.
“Nonetheless, one of the great lessons of our history is that instability in Europe will always wash up on our shores, and that tyrants like Putin only respond to strength.
“Russia is a menace in our waters, in our airspace and on our streets…We must stand by Ukraine, because if we do not achieve a lasting peace, then the economic instability are threats to our security, they will only grow.
“And so as the nature of that conflict changes, as it has in recent weeks, it brings our response into sharper focus, a new era that we must meet as we have so often in the past, together, and with strength.”
The Labour leader previously pledged to raise military spending to 2.5 per cent, without a timetable to hit the target.
But he has faced mounting calls for action in recent days from NATO leaders and senior military figures, as well as Mr Trump.
As she gave a speech on foreign affairs in central London on Tuesday, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch described 2.5 per cent as “now no longer sufficient”.
She added: “Rebuilding will be achieved by having a plan to rearm based on an efficient, focused military, equipped with, and trained to use, the new kinds of weapons we have seen deployed to devastating effects in Ukraine.
“We also need to be honest enough to admit that military procurement still needs a fundamental redesign to be faster, more responsive and to deliver better value for taxpayers.
“The message should be simple: we must do what it takes to protect Britain.”
She had also called on Sir Keir to consider whether money currently spent on foreign aid should be diverted to defence.
Asked if the PM was hiking defence spending to prepare for his meeting with Trump, his official spokesperson said: “The prime minister reflected on his recent discussions with allies across Nato and Europe, including several conversations he’s had with President Zelensky recently, he spoke to President Macron, the Secretary General of Nato recently and a number of allies across Europe – and discussions on Ukraine have been moving at pace over recent over recent days and weeks.”
