Starmer and his wife Victoria land in Washington DC for NATO and Biden meeting as PM accused of ‘playing with fire’

SIR Keir Starmer landed in Washington DC today for a decisive NATO summit, amid a huge push to rapidly increase defense spending.

The prime minister, accompanied on the trip by his wife Lady Victoria, will meet with US President Joe Biden and European leaders to discuss strengthening the alliance in an increasingly volatile world.

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Against the backdrop of war in Ukraine and a combustible Middle East, Sir Keir faces urgent calls to put a date on his pledge to increase defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP.

Philip Ingram, a former British military intelligence colonel, told The Times that the prime minister is “playing with fire” by delaying the timetable for the walk.

He said: “The threat is now and it will take years to repair the army, our ammunition stocks, prepare the RAF and navy.”

This morning Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard insisted on a new strategy analysis in defense spending, starting next week, will establish a path to 2.5 percent.

The review will consider Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, instability in the Middle East and the rise of authoritarian countries such as China and Iran.

It will also analyze British military capabilities in the face of growing threats.

Pollard told Times Radio: “This will be NATO’s first strategic defense review, a focus on our unwavering commitment to the North Atlantic, to the Europe area, to ensure that we are keeping not only the UK safe, but also our safe allies.

“Because if we don’t support Ukraine and if they don’t win, Russia won’t stop there.”

In the US, Sir Keir will tell NATO’s 75th anniversary meeting that he is determined to stand up to our adversaries.

The prime minister is expected to say at the summit – his first trip abroad in office – that increased spending will safeguard the alliance.

Sir Keir said: “There is no more important duty for me as Prime Minister than keeping the people of our country safe.

“At a time when we face multiple threats internally and externally, we must be sure that we are ready to defend ourselves.

“That’s why I have immediately ordered a major review that will secure Britain’s defenses for the future.

“Working with our most important partners around the world, our Strategic Defense Review will ensure the UK sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine peace and democracy: they will not succeed.”

The Prime Minister will make it clear to his fellow leaders that he is determined to ensure the UK is a “leading defense actor” on the world stage – highlighting that Western allies will “triumph over tyranny”.

But the pressure to reach 2.5% target has increased since Russia bombed a Ukrainian children’s hospital on Monday.

Pressed on the issue by reporters on the plane to DC, Sir Keir said: “We are committed to 2.5 per cent, as I said before the election and I say again after the election.

“This is obviously subject to our tax rules, but the commitment is there.

“The strategic review will take place, which will take place next week, and we will define the details of that.

“The manifesto commitment was that it would happen within a year, I would like it to be quicker than that, to be honest, and we will work out the details of how we are going to do it.”

Admiral Lord West, former head of the Navy and former Minister for Job Security, said: “There is no doubt that we have depleted forces.

“There are serious doubts about whether the armed forces are capable of doing what the nation expects of them and we need to spend some time money urgently.”