Keir Starmer tells NATO’s Mark Rutte UK will publish defence plan before summit

LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Saturday that he would publish the government’s ‌defence investment ⁠plan ⁠ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit in Ankara, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

In a call earlier in the day, Starmer and Rutte agreed ⁠allies must ‌strengthen collective defence and deliver more quickly in ⁠response to shared and evolving threats.

“The prime minister updated on plans for the defence investment plan, underlining his commitment to publish it ahead of the NATO ‌summit in Ankara,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“The NATO Secretary ⁠General welcomed the UK’s increased investment in defence as an important contribution to the alliance and to meeting the threats we face,” the spokesperson added.