The US has told the United Kingdom it must spend 5 per cent of its GDP on defence.

Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of defence , said on Thursday it was “important” that Britain hits the goal as Nato ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss revised spending targets.

It is the first time Britain has been singled out by a senior US official as part of Donald Trump’s efforts to force European allies and Canada to defend themselves.

“Our friends in the UK... we’re going to get there. We think everyone is going to get there, we really do. It’s important they do. It’s important that the UK gets there”, Mr Hegseth told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting.

Sir Keir Starmer has been criticised for refusing to outline detailed plans of how the UK could spend 3 per cent of GDP in the St

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