The former NATO chief warns: the United Kingdom risks a "cold" reception at the Ankara summit

Former NATO Secretary General George Robertson has strongly criticized the British government for failing to present a clear roadmap for increasing basic defense spending to 3,5% of GDP. He believes this lack of commitment could earn the UK a frosty reception from its allies at the NATO summit in Ankara.

George Robertson, also co-author of last year's UK Defence Strategic Review, has intensified his criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's strategy. The British government recently announced an additional £15 billion investment to modernize weakened armed forces and prepare the country for future conflicts.

The goal of allocating 3,5% of GDP to basic defense, supplemented by an additional 1,5% for broader national security by 2035, was adopted last year by NATO members. This decision responds in particular to pressure exerted by the US president. Donald Trumpwhich has been asking European allies for several years to significantly increase their defense efforts.

As Keir Starmer travels to Ankara to attend the NATO summit, George Robertson believes the UK has only a few years left to prepare for threats that he says have significantly intensified since the strategic review was written. He considers the security environment to have deteriorated considerably and believes that current British commitments risk being deemed insufficient by other members of the Alliance.