NATO chief presses UK for credible annual defence budget increases toward 3.5% GDP by 2035

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte publicly urged Britain to show a credible path of annual defence spending increases to reach 3.5% of GDP by 2035, implying a need for nearly £30bn more per year. The intervention is unusually pointed, coming after a meeting with UK PM Andy Burnham, and signals alliance pressure on UK fiscal planning. The UK's current trajectory is unclear, and the political feasibility of such increases remains uncertain.