Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis met NATO ministers in Brussels while the UK’s Defence Investment Plan remains unpublished, prompting concern from military leaders. Former defence secretary John Healey resigned, saying the draft plan "falls well short" and shows only a minimal rise in spending to 2030 with no clear path to 3.5% of GDP. NATO leaders, including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, urged allies to present credible plans to reach a 5% defence-related commitment by 2035. The government says it hopes to publish the DIP before the NATO summit in Ankara.
UK Defence Plan Still Unpublished as Dan Jarvis Meets NATO, Raising Concerns Ahead of Summit
Dan Jarvis was appointed defence secretary following John Healey's resignation [Reuters]
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis travelled to Brussels to meet NATO counterparts at what he described as a "moment of challenge" — even though the UK’s long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP) remains unpublished. The delay has intensified questions from military leaders and allies about whether planned funding will meet the armed forces’ needs ahead of a key NATO summit on 7 July in Ankara.
Concerns From Former Minister And Military Leadership
John Healey, who resigned as defence secretary last week, said in his resignation letter that the draft DIP "falls well short" of what is needed to safeguard the UK. According to reporting, the version presented to him outlined only a 0.08% rise in defence spending from next year through 2030 and included "no date for reaching 3%, no path to 3.5%" — despite the government's stated aim to reach 3.5% of GDP by 2035 in line with NATO commitments.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the UK’s chief of the defence staff, warned that if funding does not increase beyond current proposals the armed forces may have to "dial back" training and operations. Those concerns underline an urgent tension between near-term readiness and longer-term procurement plans.
Diplomatic Pressure And NATO Targets
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged NATO members to present "clear, concrete and credible plans" for raising defence-related spending ahead of the Ankara summit. Rutte reiterated the alliance’s ambition for members to work toward a combined 5% of GDP defence-related commitment by 2035 — split into a 3.5% core defence spending goal plus a 1.5% commitment for broader resilience measures.
Jarvis did not detail the DIP when speaking to reporters before the meeting of NATO defence ministers, but said the gathering presented an opportunity to strengthen support for Ukraine as it resists Russia's invasion.
Domestic Budget Choices And Economic Risks
Reports suggest the government may propose a £13.5bn increase for the Ministry of Defence over the next four years — substantially less than the additional £28bn the MoD requested. Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the government's approach, saying hard choices have been made across departments to prioritise defence.
Rupert Pearce, the UK national armaments director at the MoD, described the DIP delay as "regrettable" and warned that funding defence by raiding other departmental budgets — for example energy or transport — could slow economic growth. Because the defence budget is calculated as a share of national income, weaker growth could reduce the absolute resources available for defence over time.
Next Steps
Downing Street has said it wants to publish the DIP before next month’s NATO summit. The DIP, initially expected in autumn 2025, is intended to set out how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded over the coming decade. Government discussions about the final funding envelope and priorities are ongoing as ministers prepare to present the UK’s position to allies.
Key quote: "It's very clear to me, as the new defence secretary for the United Kingdom, that this is a moment of challenge," Jarvis said. "The international security environment is incredibly challenging, and that's why this gathering here today is so particularly important."
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