British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing to bypass his finance minister, Rachel Reeves, and authorize increased defence spending following pressure from the United States for Europe to

contribute more to its own security, according to a report from The Sunday Times.

Citing sources, the newspaper stated that Starmer is scheduled to visit Washington next week for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, with an official announcement on the matter expected as early as Monday.

The Labour government has pledged to raise defence spending from approximately 2.3% of GDP to 2.5%, though it has yet to establish a clear timeline for reaching that target.

Reeves, who is currently preparing a comprehensive spending review, is already grappling with the challenge of balancing public service improvements and economic growth within strict fiscal constraints. Her efforts risk breaching the government's financial rules.

"In the end, national security is the prime minister’s responsibility. This decision rests with him," a senior Labour source told The Sunday Times. "We recognize the need to clarify when we will reach the 2.5% goal. The defence and security review will proceed as planned."

Downing Street has not yet commented on the report.

On Saturday, Starmer emphasized the importance of maintaining unity between the U.S. and Europe, warning that internal divisions should not distract from external threats. His remarks followed statements from Trump’s Ukraine envoy at the Munich Security Conference, where Europe was reportedly excluded from discussions on Ukraine peace talks. Photo by Prime Minister’s Office, Wikimedia commons.