The first full day of the NATO summit kicks off on Wednesday in Madrid, Spain, where the allies will discuss NATO’s future as it seeks to agree on a plan for a new decade of growing threats. In his speech, the prime minister will urge member states to invest more in modernizing defense, warning that this decade will be more dangerous and competitive than the previous one. Live Ukrainian news: Footage shows the moment a rocket hit a mall Arriving at the summit, Mr Johnson warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would “take more NATO”, not less. He added that Mr Putin had “proved completely wrong” in hoping to reduce NATO sovereignty, as Finland and Sweden came one step closer to joining the defense alliance as Turkey lifted its objections. “The first lesson from today is that if Vladimir Putin hoped to get less NATO on his western front as a result of his unprovoked, illegal invasion of Ukraine, it has turned out to be completely wrong – he gets more NATO,” he said. broadcasters. PM welcomes “historic summit” “This is a historic summit in many ways, but we already have two new members coming, Finland and Sweden, a huge step forward for our alliance. “And what we are going to do now is talk about what more we can do as an alliance to support the Ukrainians, but what we also need to do is make sure we think about the lessons of recent months and the need for NATO to review its position on its east side “. NATO members have pledged to spend at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense, but only nine of the 30-member alliance meet this requirement. The United Kingdom has been fulfilling this goal every year since its inception, and Mr Johnson will say: “The NATO alliance keeps our people safe every day. But over the next 10 years, the threats around us will increase. “We need allies – all allies – to dig deep to restore deterrence and secure defense over the next decade. “The 2% has always been meant to be a floor, not a ceiling, and the allies must continue to step up in this time of crisis.” Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:38 Wallace: More money is needed for the UK defense by 2025 The defense minister says “greater investment” is needed. Ahead of the prime minister’s speech, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace urged him to increase spending on the UK armed forces until the middle of the decade in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mr Wallace said defense spending was in the right place “for the here and now”, but told Sky News’ Kay Burley that after 2024 “we should probably see more investment”. He added that the government’s “appetite” for the use of the army must be “matched with resources”, noting that “if the threat changes, we must always be open to increasing this funding”. Mr Wallace continued: “We are doing this in many other areas around the government – when the NHS has been under winter pressure for decades and decades, the chancellors of the time have stepped up and invested in responding to this response.” Asked how much more money the State Department would like to have, Mr Wallace replied: “How long is a piece of string?” “I always want enough to face the threat,” he added. UK defense spending is projected to reach 2.3% of GDP this year, largely due to support provided to Ukraine since February. Meanwhile, the British Army is going to shrink from the target number of 82,000 to 72,500. The new army chief, General Sir Patrick Saunders, said further cuts to the army would be “distorted”. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 11:01 The West is “working hard” to avoid war The United Kingdom is expanding its presence in Estonia The Prime Minister will also announce that the UK military presence in Estonia will be strengthened, a decision that comes just days after NATO announced plans to increase the number of troops on high alert by 650%, from 40,000 to 300,000. According to officials, a larger presence in Estonia would allow the United Kingdom to provide rapid aid if needed. Elsewhere, arriving at the NATO summit in Madrid, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg unveiled plans for 300,000 troops to remain on high alert – out of the current 40,000. Speaking to television stations that he expected the troops to be ready “by next year”, Mr Stoltenberg said they would be based in their home countries but would be “pre-determined in certain areas” to be ready to strengthen their defenses there with heavy equipment and supplies already in place if needed. Sweden and Finland one step closer to accession On the eve of the summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lifts the obstacle to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, a major boost to the alliance. By Tuesday, Turkey had resisted the move, insisting the Nordic countries needed to change their stance on Kurdish rebels it considers terrorists. However, an agreement was reached, paving the way for Finland and Sweden. Mr Johnson is expected to meet with the leaders of Turkey and the two Nordic nations on the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday. Follow the Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker The UK had backed Sweden and Finland’s candidacies for membership in the alliance. Mr Johnson said they were “breaking decades of historical neutrality” to join the organization, which showed the alliance was “in good health”. “The participation of Sweden and Finland will make our glorious alliance stronger and more secure,” he said.
