LONDON – Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned Thursday that Europe's security is "on a knife-edge," echoing a call by President-elect Donald Trump for increased military spending by NATO members. Lammy emphasized the end of the post-Cold War peace, arguing that European nations must bolster their defenses in light of Russia's actions.
Lammy's comments, delivered during a foreign policy address, framed the UK government's approach as "progressive realism." He stated, "It's short-sighted to pretend otherwise, with Russia aggressively advancing." This stance directly aligns with Trump's longstanding skepticism of NATO and repeated calls for member nations to commit more to their defense budgets.
Trump's recent demands for NATO members to allocate at least 5% of GDP to defense, up from the current 2% target, were directly addressed by Lammy. Trump has also voiced potential reluctance to defend members who do not meet this threshold. The potential implications of such a policy, including the threat to use military force for territorial acquisition, such as Greenland, were noted.
While recognizing Trump's "intensity of rhetoric," Lammy stressed that British policy would be guided by actions rather than just words. He dismissed the prospect of Trump taking control of Greenland, citing the resilience of NATO in recent years.
Despite the concerns, Lammy stated a lack of direct communication with the Trump administration regarding Elon Musk's recent, controversial social media posts targeting British leaders. He expressed "real concerns" about Musk's statements but reiterated that no requests to temper the Tesla CEO's public comments have been made. Musk's role, as outlined in discussions, is focused on domestic U.S. issues.
