Former NATO Chief Warns UK's Military Dependence on US Is 'No Longer Tenable'
Britain's high military dependence on the United States is "no longer tenable" and the United Kingdom must become increasingly independent of the special relationship with Washington, a former NATO secretary general has declared. Lord George Robertson, who recently accused British leaders of a "corrosive complacency" towards defence, stated on Wednesday that the traditional allies are diverging over values, and that even after Donald Trump leaves the White House, the separation is likely to continue.
Diplomatic Tone at 'Historic Low'
Lord Robertson, a former Labour defence minister and NATO secretary general, highlighted Trump's unprovoked attack on Iran, his decision to levy tariffs on traditional allies and, "most jarringly", the threat to wrest Greenland from Denmark. "All of these illustrate a growing divergence between Westminster and Washington," Robertson said at a seminar at the Chatham House thinktank. He emphasised that the diplomatic tone from the White House has "reached a historic low point" with Trump's repeated public criticisms of the UK.
Trump's unilateral actions during his presidency indicated that the postwar era in which the US acted as a steward maintaining global rules, norms and institutions "may well be over", he added. Keir Starmer has offered limited military support to the US bombing of Iran, refusing to participate directly, as questions remain over whether the initial attack that killed the country's supreme leader Ali Khamenei complied with international law.
Trump's Criticisms and UK Response
Trump has compared Starmer to Neville Chamberlain, described the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers as "toys" and complained that the UK wanted to help secure the Strait of Hormuz only once "the war is over". Robertson stressed that Trump does not represent the full spectrum of American opinion, but he said the UK needs to accept that the president's behaviour is also reflective of longer-term changes in US foreign policy and act accordingly.
"It's clear that our high level of military dependence on the US is no longer tenable," Robertson stated, and it was a "naive belief" that the White House would always be on hand to help the UK out in times of conflict. Such an approach has led to the "diminishment of our own capability" militarily, he added.
Call for Greater Autonomy and Increased Spending
He said the UK "must rapidly pivot to becoming a more autonomous military actor", working closely with European allies against Russia, and demonstrate progress to lifting defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035 in line with a NATO target, while recognising that the US is becoming more transactional. "The relationship with the United States will depend very much on what we contribute to the alliance," Robertson said, amid forecasts that Germany is on track to spend twice as much on defence as the UK by 2029 if both countries maintain their current plans.
Committee Report and Political Appointments
It is the second time in a week that Robertson has intervened over military spending, in comments that he hopes will strengthen the Ministry of Defence's hand in a long-running row with the Treasury. There remains an £18 billion funding gap in a 10-year defence investment plan, leaving key commitments not yet signed off. On Wednesday the cross-party Lords international relations and defence committee, which Robertson chairs, published its own report on the special relationship, saying it was "under greater strain today than at any point since the second world war".
Robertson did not comment on whether Starmer's disastrous appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US last year had worsened a declining relationship with Washington. Kim Darroch, a former UK ambassador to Washington and another member of the Lords committee, said at the same event that it was inevitable that prime ministers would sometimes try to make a political appointment to the post.
"As a diplomat myself, I like the idea the job should, more often than not, go to diplomats. The history of British diplomats in that job in Washington has been pretty favourable," he said. But he added that what politicians might occasionally want was someone they thought they could trust, stating: "It won't be the last time this happens."
US Ambassador's Response
Responding to the Lords committee report, Warren Stephens, the US ambassador to the UK, said the White House national security strategy makes it a top priority to "support our allies in preserving the freedom and security of Europe". He said the US will work alongside the UK, "our closest ally", to keep both countries and their citizens safe and prosperous.
