Boris Johnson urges Keir Starmer to boost UK defence spending

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson last night led a chorus of Conservatives calling for Sir Keir Starmer to increase defence spending.

Speaking from Kyiv on the third anniversary of the start of the conflict, he demanded a rise to at least three per cent of GDP to help guarantee European security against Russian aggression.

The ex-Conservative Party leader and former PM said: ‘We should get to three per cent [of GDP] by 2030, 2.5 per cent is not enough.’

Mr Johnson also called for UK troops to deploy to Ukraine as part of a post-conflict stabilisation force. He said such a move would ‘annihilate President Putin’s claims to control Ukraine.’

However, the Kremlin has stated repeatedly it is strongly opposed to any NATO member states occupying Ukraine following a ceasefire.