UK needs 'credible path' on defence spending, says Nato chief Rutte

Nato chief Mark Rutte has said he is confident the UK government understands the need for a "credible path" to increase defence spending.

Speaking after meetings in London, he said British ministers accepted the need to make yearly steps towards hitting the target.

Andy Burnham has followed predecessor Sir Keir Starmer in committing to reach Nato's 3.5% spending target by 2035, up from an estimated 2.6% this year.

But he has faced pressure to immediately commit to reaching the milestone by the end of the decade. His chancellor and ex-defence secretary John Healey has previously argued this would show Britain was serious about the Nato goal.

Speaking to BBC political editor Chris Mason after meeting Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband in London, Rutte said he was confident British ministers understood the 2035 target could not be met "in one go in 2034".

"I am absolutely confident that when it comes to the yearly increments, they totally take it and accept it, that they have to be there.

Rutte also said that defence spending should be separated out from the issue of welfare, adding that economic growth was the key to ensuring military commitments could be met alongside spending in other areas.

Rutte added: "I don't know all the details of the UK economy, I think this is something this government is now navigating," he added.

"One is, indeed, spending on defence, but the other is of course making sure that the economy is growing enough, so you can distribute the success of a growing economy amongst various income groups, various issues in the Budget, for example welfare and healthcare and the pensions."

"Of course there are issues. I've been prime minister myself for 14 years. You have to take tough decisions, and it's not always easy."

Elsewhere in his interview, Rutte said recent Russian military activity in western Ukraine which saw Poland close two of its airports on Thursday showed Vladimir Putin was "increasingly desperate" over his prospects for the war.

He also said there would be discussions among Nato allies over how to respond to the situation in the Red Sea, where Iran-aligned Houthis recently seized control of parts of Yemen's coast along the important shipping route.