War losses making Russia 'reckless and dangerous' NATO warned as UK signals defence spending boost

The UK appears poised to increase spending on defence after the foreign secretary said everyone must "face up to the need to do much more" to counter a "reckless" Russia.

In unusually strident language, Yvette Cooper said: "Any lingering cosy assumptions about our defence and security are gone. So too is the post-Cold War peace dividend."

She made the comments following a meeting of fellow NATO foreign ministers in Sweden on Friday.

Ms Cooper warned that Russian losses on the battlefield in Ukraine were making the Kremlin "more reckless and dangerous".

"In the face of that threat and the ongoing global instability, the NATO alliance is vital and enduring, but within it Europe and the UK must do more," she said.

"We have already been stepping up with significantly increased defence investment. But we have to face up to the need to do much more so we properly protect our citizens."

The foreign secretary said Ukraine was putting "huge pressure" on Russia on the frontline, which was making Vladimir Putin more unpredictable.

"The threat from Russia is increasing on air, land, sea, space, cyber and information warfare," she said.

"Any lingering cosy assumptions about our defence and security are gone. So too is the post-Cold War peace dividend.

"That's why we need to keep increasing our defence and security capabilities and maintain our support for Ukraine.

"NATO is the most successful defensive alliance in history and now we need to keep building a stronger Europe within NATO. The safety, stability and prosperity of our citizens depends upon it."

It is the clearest signal yet from the foreign secretary that the government is preparing to announce additional funding to rearm the military.

Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly considering an extra £18bn defence boost over four years.

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Military insiders, however, have warned that such a sum is still billions of pounds short of what is required to transform the army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force - hollowed out during decades of defence cuts - for war in the digital age.

The gap in capabilities was exposed this week at an army wargame, conducted on the London Underground, with soldiers fighting a mock Russian invasion of the Baltic states.

Commanders imagined they would need more than 5,000 drones a day to attack the Russian side. In reality, the army only has hundreds and they would run out within days if war did erupt tomorrow.

While Ms Cooper's message on greater defence spending was linked to the threat from Russia, it is also likely targeted at an American audience.

Donald Trump has repeatedly urged the UK and his European allies to spend more on their armed forces and take on a greater responsibility for the defence of the continent instead of overly relying on the more powerful US military.

The UK will be seeking to release a long-delayed plan on investment for defence ahead of a major summit of NATO leaders, including Mr Trump and Sir Keir, that is due to take place in Turkey in July. Any announcement on money would likely coincide with the publication of the defence investment plan.

(c) Sky News 2026: War losses making Russia 'reckless and dangerous' NATO warned as UK signals defence spending