00:00The United Kingdom must be ready for war. That's the word from Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
00:06We are moving to warfighting readiness as the central purpose of our armed forces.
00:13When we are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces,
00:18the most effective way to deter them is to be ready.
00:22And frankly, to show them that we're ready to deliver peace through strength.
00:33Starmer says Russia poses a clear threat that cannot be ignored.
00:37His government is now planning to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2027.
00:44Right now, it's 2.3%.
00:46So, what exactly is the plan?
00:49Over the next decade, the UK wants to build at least six munitions factories.
00:55It also wants to construct 12 attack submarines.
00:58At the moment, the country has seven.
01:01And then there are the nuclear weapons.
01:03The UK is set to spend around $20 billion, or £15 billion, on nuclear warheads.
01:10Starmer says this programme will also boost the economy.
01:13We are investing £15 billion in our sovereign warhead programme to secure our deterrent for decades to come,
01:22creating 9,000 jobs and thousands more in supply chains across the country.
01:27Now, this plan is also a response to moves by the United States.
01:31The White House has made it clear that Europe must take more responsibility for its own security.
01:36President Donald Trump says many states should be spending close to 5% of GDP on defence.
01:42But just last year, some were spending less than 2%.
01:46Starmer says the UK could increase defence spending even more to 3% of GDP,
01:52although there's no deadline for that target yet.
01:55His critics say he's right to increase spending, but they've warned that he's moving too slowly.
02:01Either way, this is a clear sign that the UK sees a very real risk of war in Europe.
02:08It's hoping this plan will ensure that never happens.
02:12Michael Marilia, CGTN, London.
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