UK Defence Minister Quits Over Spending Fears

John Healey, the UK defence secretary, resigned in protest this week. He said the government is not spending enough on the military. His resignation is a warning for all of Europe. One year after Nato’s historic summit in The Hague, European leaders promised huge increases in defence spending. They cited the growing threat of Russian aggression. But key governments in the UK, France, and Italy are not following through. Leaders like Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and Giorgia Meloni are afraid of the bond markets. They worry that borrowing more money for defence could hurt their countries’ credit ratings. They seem more scared of investors than of Russia. Healey’s dramatic exit shows how politically dangerous it has become to find the money for defence. Paul Taylor, a senior visiting fellow at the European Policy Centre, says the issue is now treacherous for Nato leaders across the continent.