The United Kingdom, according to a sharply worded report by a cross-party group of MPs, relies too heavily on the United States for its defence and has failed to develop a credible plan in case Washington scales back its presence in Europe. The House of Commons Defence Committee warns that in a major global crisis London could find itself exposed if America steps away from its long-established role as Europe’s military backbone. The authors argue that the country must anticipate which US capabilities it could replace “in the event of their withdrawal”.
Noting that many European states increased defence spending after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the committee stresses that “both the resources and the capacity” to build European alternatives to America’s military presence remain limited.
US President Donald Trump has for years pressed European nations to contribute more to NATO’s budget. The committee warns: “If Europe fails to respond in time, a crisis elsewhere in the world could prompt the US to pull its capabilities out of Europe overnight, leaving the continent exposed.”
The report also says the United Kingdom lacks a clear strategy for defending the country itself and its overseas territories in the event of an invasion. The authors sharply criticise decision-making at the Ministry of Defence, describing it as “slow and opaque”. “We have repeatedly heard concerns about the UK’s ability to defend itself from attack,” said Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, who chairs the committee. “The government must be prepared to confront this issue and prioritise the protection and resilience of the country.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to allocate 5 percent of GDP to national security by 2035. His defence secretary, John Healey, on Wednesday outlined the scale of Britain’s response to a “new era of threats”, stressing the government’s intention to link rising defence spending with a broader industrial strategy.