Prime Minister바카라 사이트檚 defence speech in Warsaw: 23 April 2024
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a speech on defence.
My first duty as Prime Minister is the security of the British people.
And fulfilling that profound responsibility is only possible because of you.聽
Just ten days ago, I gave the order for the RAF to join an international effort바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ntercepting a barrage of Iranian missiles headed towards Israel.聽
Those pilots, like you, and like every generation of British service men and women before you바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ere willing to put their own safety over the line바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트or the security of others and the defence of our liberties and our values.
From your Regiment바카라 사이트檚 service in Iraq and Afghanistan바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o your current role here in Poland, protecting NATO바카라 사이트檚 eastern flank바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ou have made those sacrifices in the service of our country.聽
I am truly humbled by your courage and professionalism.
And on behalf of a proud and grateful nation, let me simply say: thank you.
But I haven바카라 사이트檛 just brought you together today to express my gratitude.
I want to talk to you about how we equip you to do your duty바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트n an increasingly dangerous world.
We have entered a period of history in which competition between countries has sharpened profoundly.
An axis of authoritarian states with different values to ours바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ike Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트re increasingly assertive.
The danger they pose is not new.
But what is new is that these countries 바카라 사이트� or their proxies바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트re causing more instability, more quickly, in more places at once.
And they바카라 사이트檙e increasingly acting together바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트aking common cause in an attempt to reshape the world order.
Now I know there are some people who will think these are faraway problems.
But they are not.
They pose real risks to the United Kingdom바카라 사이트檚 security and prosperity.聽
Russia has already poisoned people on British soil with chemical weapons.
Caused energy bills to soar.
Weaponised migration.
And sent technology to Iran in exchange for weapons, like the Shaheed drones바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트hat I saw myself are wreaking such devastation on Ukraine.
Iran themselves have threatened to kill and kidnap people within our borders for exercising their right to free speech.
And used proxies like the Houthis, to attack British ships in the Red Sea바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트isrupting supplies of crucial goods to our high streets.聽
North Korea, too, is supplying munitions and artillery to Russia바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd their hackers have targeted British businesses and the NHS.
And Chinese state-affiliated actors have conducted malicious cyber campaigns바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트gainst British MPs.
China itself is engaged in a huge military modernisation programme.
Potential flashpoints in the Indo-Pacific바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ould have an impact on the global economy far larger even than Covid.
And China is increasingly working with others to try and reshape the world바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ncluding their so-called 바카라 사이트榰nlimited partnership바카라 사이트� with Russia.
So the new assertiveness of these authoritarian states far from our shores must concern us.
Because they are increasingly acting together바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트gainst the fundamental values that we all hold dear바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트f democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.
Now, we must not overstate the danger.
We바카라 사이트檙e not on the brink of war.
And nor do we seek it.
And people should feel reassured바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트hat the UK바카라 사이트檚 armed forces are some of the most professional바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ell-trained, well-equipped, and battle-ready in the world.
And I바카라 사이트檓 incredibly proud of all they바카라 사이트檝e achieved.
From patrolling the Arctic Circle as part of the Joint Expeditionary Force바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o the campaign against Daesh in the deserts of Iraq and Syria.
From protecting the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o policing the skies above Eastern Europe.
And just look at the investments we바카라 사이트檝e made in the last decade.
拢40 billion in the British Army바카라 사이트� 聽
바카라 사이트ho proudly provide one of NATO바카라 사이트檚 strategic reserves바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ith 16,000 troops deployed to Europe this year.聽
The Royal Air Force, equipped with new Typhoons, Chinooks, F35s바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ith the GCAP programme delivering new fighter jets with Japan and Italy.
The Royal Navy is a carrier navy once again바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ith 22 new ships and submarines on the way바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd the historic AUKUS partnership building the most advanced nuclear-powered subs the world has ever known.
And we바카라 사이트檝e launched a new national endeavour to invigorate and invest more in our nuclear deterrent.聽
And all of this is combined with our outstanding diplomatic network바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트evelopment expertise, law enforcement and intelligence agencies바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd our support for allies 바카라 사이트� above all the 拢12bn we바카라 사이트檝e provided to Ukraine.聽
So I바카라 사이트檓 proud of our record on defence.
And confident in our ability to deter our adversaries.
바카라 사이트nd ensure the security of the United Kingdom.聽聽
But in a world that바카라 사이트檚 the most dangerous바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트t바카라 사이트檚 been since the end of the Cold War바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트e cannot 바카라 사이트� and must not - be complacent.
As Churchill said, in 1934:
바카라 사이트淭o urge the preparation of defence is not to assert the imminence of war.
On the contrary, if war were imminent바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트reparations for defence would be too late.바카라 사이트�
I believe we must do more바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o defend our country, our interests, and our values.
So today, I바카라 사이트檓 announcing바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트he biggest strengthening of our national defence for a generation.
We will increase defence spending to a new baseline of 2.5% of GDP, by 2030.
That starts today.
And rises steadily in each and every year.
Over the next six years, we바카라 사이트檒l invest an additional 拢75bn in our defence.
And it will be fully funded with no increase in borrowing or debt.
So this is not some vague aspiration for the future.聽
We have a clear plan for what we바카라 사이트檒l spend, when we바카라 사이트檒l spend it, and how we pay for it.
A plan that makes the United Kingdom by far the largest defence power in Europe - and second largest in NATO.
Today is a landmark moment in the defence of the United Kingdom.
This is a generational investment in British security and British prosperity.
It makes us safer at home and stronger abroad.
Now we have three immediate priorities for this new investment.
First, we will put the UK바카라 사이트檚 own defence industry on a war footing.
One of the central lessons of the war in Ukraine바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트s that we need deeper stockpiles of munitions바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd for industry to be able to replenish them more quickly.聽
So today, we바카라 사이트檙e giving 拢10bn in munitions to give industry long-term funding certainty바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트acked by long-term contracts바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o they can produce more, be readier to surge capacity바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd move to 바카라 사이트榓lways on바카라 사이트� production, when required.
From surface-to-air-missiles made in Bolton바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o anti-tank weapons in Belfast바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트e will replenish our stockpiles바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ll while supporting British jobs right across the Union.
But it바카라 사이트檚 not just about investing more 바카라 사이트� we must invest better.
For too long, too much of our defence procurement바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트as been over-complex, over-budget, and over-time.
So we are making radical reforms to our procurement model바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o make sure this new investment delivers value for money.聽
And to encourage private sector investment into defence production바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트 can also announce today that we바카라 사이트檙e going to put beyond doubt that defence investment바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트oes count towards environmental, social and governance assessments.
There is nothing more ethical than defending our way of life from those who threaten it.聽
Now all of this will put us at the forefront of the global defence industry바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트llow us to hugely ramp up defence production바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd give our armed forces the capability they need to keep us safe.
But as in so many areas of our lives, technology is changing the face of war.
So our second immediate priority is innovation and new technology.
We need to innovate and adapt faster than our adversaries바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트n space and cyberspace just as much as land, sea, and air.
Look at Ukraine.
Many aspects of the war would be familiar to a soldier from WWI or II
Yet others would be unimaginably different.聽
Like the fact that cheap, high-tech, autonomous drones could disable large parts of Russia바카라 사이트檚 Black Sea fleet.聽
The good news is that innovation is already one of our greatest strengths.
The UK바카라 사이트檚 own Dragonfire laser directed energy weapon바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트osts only 拢10 a shot바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트et is accurate enough to hit a 拢1 coin from a kilometre away.聽聽
And today we바카라 사이트檙e going further.
We will increase defence R&D to at minimum to 5% of the defence budget.
Invest far more in autonomous drones.
And we will set up a new Defence Innovation Agency.
So that for the first time, decisions about defence innovation바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ill be brought together in a single, strategic agency바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트hat will be freed from red tape 바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd work with the private sector on emerging new technologies.
Now third, we must support Ukraine for the long term.
Since the Cold War ended, the freedom of our continent has been based on a simple idea:聽
That it is for people to decide the fate of their countries, not foreign armies.
But allow Putin to win in Ukraine바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd that principle of sovereignty would be undermined.
We would be dragged back to a world바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트here brute force, rather than the democratic will of free peoples바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ould shape borders and decide futures.
And Putin will not stop in Ukraine.
Win there, and he 바카라 사이트� and indeed others - will be emboldened.聽
He has the desire, if not yet the capacity, to attack other countries in Europe바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트otentially including NATO allies, who we would be bound to defend바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ust as they are bound to defend us.
The costs of failing to support Ukraine now will be far greater than the costs of repelling Putin.
Because only if he fails will he and other adversaries be deterred.
That is why the United Kingdom바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트hose history of standing up to dictators is so much part of our national consciousness바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트as come together with our allies to stand with Ukraine from the very start.
Today we will go further.
We will send Ukraine an additional half a billion pounds , hitting 拢3 billion of support this year.
And we바카라 사이트檒l provide them with largest-ever package of UK military equipment.
This will include more than 400 vehicles바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트�4 million rounds of ammunition바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트�60 boats and offshore raiding craft바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ital air defences바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd long-range precision-guided Storm Shadow missiles.
And as we make our historic commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트e바카라 사이트檒l move past this stop-start, piecemeal way of backing Ukraine바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o that alongside our long-term security guarantee바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트e are today providing a long-term funding guarantee바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트f at least the current level of military support to Ukraine, for every year it is needed.
That is the longest commitment any nation has provided.
And it shows that Ukraine is not alone, and Ukraine will never be alone.聽
A decade ago, as Russian tanks rolled into Crimea바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd the fight against ISIL raged across the Middle East바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ATO allies came together in Wales, and reached an historic agreement바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o increase their defence budgets to 2% of GDP.
Back then, the UK was one of only 4 countries who did so.
Today, there are 11.
And I believe we will look back on this moment바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트s a similar turning point in European security.
Because for all that we welcome the news over the weekend바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트hat the US Congress agreed a new package of aid for Ukraine바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트upport that will be indispensable on the frontline바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트his is not the moment for complacency.
We cannot keep expecting America to pay any price or bear any burden바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트f we ourselves are unwilling to make greater sacrifices for our own security.
So I바카라 사이트檓 proud that the United Kingdom is increasing our defence spending to 拢87bn a year바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트he biggest strengthening of our national defence in a generation바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트uaranteeing our position as the second largest defence power in NATO, after the US.
All across Europe바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ountries like Poland, Germany, Norway and the Baltic nations바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트re stepping up to take greater responsibility for our own security.
And I바카라 사이트檓 confident that whether in months or years바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트thers will follow, too.聽
And at this turning point in European security, if 2.5% becomes a new benchmark for all NATO partners to reach바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트llied defence spending would increase by over 拢140 billion.
That would provide a level of safety and security for the British people바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd the peoples of all allied nations바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트hat far outstrips anything we could achieve alone.
To conclude, we did not choose this moment. But it falls to us to meet it.
In a world of increasing threats, we must show our enemies that we are resolute and determined.聽
That their attempts to destabilise our world or redraw its borders by force will fail.聽聽
That with our friends and allies, we will be at the forefront of the defence of the free, democratic world.聽
And under my leadership, the United Kingdom will always stand up for our interests바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트eter our enemies, and defend our values.