Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled plans at 11:00 AM GMT during a NATO summit in London, signing a $2 billion contract for 500 air-defense missiles bound for Ukraine by June 2025. He also pledged to hike UK defense spending from 2.1% to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, adding 12 billion pounds annually. The missiles, dubbed Storm Shadow successors, boast 300-mile ranges. Starmer met Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov at 1:00 PM, who called it “a lifeline.” Parliament will vote on the budget shift March 12, with Labour holding a slim 15-seat majority.
