The United States today put renewed pressure on the British Government to maintain its commitment to Nato’s military spending target.
The US ambassador in London said “less than a handful” of countries were hitting the target of contributing two per cent of GDP to their armed forces.
And he warned that it was vital for Nato partners, including the UK, who were meeting the requirement to continue to do so.
In an exclusive interview with the Standard, ambassador Matthew Barzun said he had been “horrified” by the “murderous rampage” of the Tunisia gunman which has left 30 Britons dead.
He hailed the “special relationship” and underlined joint US/UK actions to tackle IS, which claimed responsibility for the atrocity.
Mr Barzun said: “If you look around the world at the threats we face, the threats are real. We all know them. We need to fund [the military] accordingly.
“We are glad the UK is at two per cent and we encourage partners to get there or stay there.”
With budget day approaching, the Prime Minister has not committed to the two per cent benchmark beyond next March. Chancellor George Osborne’s demand for further savings in the Ministry of Defence budget has led to fears the UK may drop below the required level.
Mr Barzun also expressed his condolences to the families of British victims of the Sousse terror attack.
