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

Nato chief Mark Rutte has said he is confident the UK government understands the need for a "credible path" to increase defence spending. The alliance's secretary general told the BBC he was "absolutely confident" in the UK's commitment to hit a Nato-wide spending target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035. Speaking after meetings in London, he said British ministers accepted the need to make yearly steps towards hitting the target. But he accepted that the exact "pathway" towards the goal would not be set out until next year. 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. He has said date for reaching a planned 3% interim target will come next spring, when the long-term budgets of government departments are due to be set. But he has faced pressure to immediately commit to reaching the milestone . His chancellor and ex-defence secretary John Healey has previously argued this would show Britain was serious about the Nato goal. Former Dutch PM Rutte has been encouraging members of the alliance not to pencil in large spending increases shortly before the deadline. 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 3.5[%] they are there," he said. "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. "There has to be a credible path. What that credible path exactly will be, we will see with the spending review next year," he added. 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. The Conservatives have been pushing for hikes in defence spending to be funded through cuts to benefits, and have criticised Burnham for saying last week that national security "can't come at the expense of social security". I've been prime minister myself for 14 years. You have to take tough decisions, and it's not always easy." This video can not be played “Let’s not be naive about what Putin could do”, Nato chief tells BBC 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.