The lack of UK defence spending in the Budget is sending the 'wrong signal' to ... trends now
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The failure to boost defence spending in the Budget is 'giving the wrong signal' to Vladimir Putin, a former Nato chief warned last night.
Lord Robertson said it was disturbing that ministers were unwilling to make the 'serious investment' needed.
The Labour peer, who served as Nato secretary-general, said the West had to make clear to Putin 'at every stage' that it would commit the resources necessary to defeat him in Ukraine.
'The stakes are enormously high because if he wins in Ukraine he won't stop there. And what is disturbing to me is we had a Budget in the UK last week with no mention of defence expenditure and increasing it,' he told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour.
He added: 'And although (Defence Secretary Grant) Shapps is now talking about spending 3 per cent (of GDP) on defence, there was no indication in the Budget from the Chancellor or the Prime Minister that they're willing to make the serious investment that would actually turn the tide in this conflict.'
