Russia an 'immediate' threat, China a 'sophisticated' one: What UK defence review warns against

The United Kingdom's defence review has warned against “immediate and pressing” threat from Russia, meanwhile, China poses a “sophisticated and persistent challenge”. The government's strategic review is set to be concluded on Monday, the Guardian reported.

A 130-page document authored by three advisers to UK PM Keir Starmer also suggested on drawing extensively on lessons from the war in Ukraine. While Russia was the central concern, the document also highlighted China, that has at times cooperated with Moscow. It further identified Iran and North Korea as smaller but significant “regional disruptors.”According to the report, Britain was entering “a new era of threat,” as drones, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies were transforming the nature of warfare more profoundly than ever before.The analysis is not expected to announce new defence spending commitments but will reaffirm Starmer’s February pledge to raise the defence budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, and to 3% in the following parliament. However, the document is likely to support a major medium-term spending increase—potentially exceeding £50 billion in real terms—that may be agreed at the upcoming Nato summit in June. There, Western allies are considering a proposal to raise core defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2032, with an additional 1.5% dedicated to cyber and infrastructure efforts, partly in response to mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump.

It is also expected to address the issue of British army size, as tensions continue between the ministry of defence and the treasury over whether to commit to increasing troop numbers beyond the current target of 73,000. This comes amid fresh figures revealing that the army's strength has fallen to 70,860 full-time trained soldiers as of 1 April—its lowest level since the Napoleonic era—marking a 2.3% decline over the past year.Meanwhile, US defense secretary Pete Hegseth has also warned Indo-Pacific allies of an "imminent threat" from China, reassuring them that they would not face growing military and economic pressure from the country alone.