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Select committee: International Relations and Defence Committee

Implications of the war in Ukraine for UK Defence

Published 27 November 2024

International Relations and Defence Committee Implications of the war in Ukraine for UK Defence Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glance

The government's response

This document responds to 1st Report - Ukraine: a wake-up call.

This is the government's response, published 27 November 2024.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government says it has learned lessons from Ukraine and that recommendations it agrees with "will be acted upon", while noting that its responses predate the Strategic Defence Review.

  • On the Strategic Defence Review, the final report goes to the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Defence Secretary "in the first half of 2025", after which the Defence Secretary will "subsequently report the SDR to Parliament".
  • On defence spending, the government states a "firm commitment" to reach 2.5% of GDP, with the pathway "set at a future fiscal event".
  • On intelligence before the invasion, the government "disagrees" that assessments of Putin's will to fight failed, but "do[es] agree" that the UK and NATO should focus on understanding his strategy and intentions.
  • On Army size, the government agrees forces are "not in the state that the country would wish" but states "we believe we meet our expected contributions to NATO".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Sources