British premier warns UK faces 'war on 2 fronts'

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday said the UK must "accept that there's a war on two fronts," referring to the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.

Speaking to the media in Finland ahead of a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a UK-led Northern European military partnership, Starmer said the talks would focus on the Russia-Ukraine war but stressed that the wider global picture must also be considered.

"There's the Iranian conflict and the continuing Ukrainian conflict. Today, I'll be talking to allies about what more we can do," he said.

Starmer was also asked how the government intends to fund its defense commitments, including whether spending may need to rise to 3.5% of GDP sooner than planned.

He said there would be further "discussions" on both funding levels and military "capability."

"Obviously, I've already committed to increasing defense spending. We have commitments to go further, and we will keep those commitments," he added.

He also reiterated his earlier announcement that British forces have been authorized to intercept sanctioned Russian ships travelling through UK waters.

A report by the House of Commons Defense Select Committee last year warned that the UK has "no plan for defending the homeland" and is failing to adequately prepare for rising global threats.

Although the UK remains one of Europe's leading military powers, the committee said its ability to sustain that position is under pressure, citing challenges facing NATO and growing security threats from countries such as China, Iran and North Korea.

Britain currently spends around 2.3%-2.4% of GDP on defense, comfortably above NATO's longstanding 2% target but below states such as Poland, Estonia and the US.