UK, Norwegian defence secretaries to meet amid security turmoil

UK Defence Secretary John Healey is set to travel to meet his Norwegian counterpart, Tore Sandvik, as Europe faces increasing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and the broader security landscape of the continent.

The high-level talks come as European leaders strategize their next steps in response to mounting pressure from the United States to ramp up defence spending.

The discussions also take place against the backdrop of ongoing U.S.-Russia negotiations aimed at brokering peace in Ukraine, led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Ukraine was notably excluded from these talks, which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and concluded with agreements on ground rules for further diplomacy.

In addition, European countries were also left out of the discussions and are now facing calls from U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to contribute more financially to the effort to support Kyiv.

In response to the evolving situation, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged President Trump to provide a security guarantee to any potential peace settlement for Ukraine, arguing that such a move would be crucial to deter Russia from further aggression.

Starmer also announced that the UK is prepared to deploy British troops as part of a peacekeeping force if necessary.

However, at a recent emergency meeting of European leaders, several countries, including Germany, resisted calls to send European forces to monitor a potential ceasefire.

On Tuesday, Defence Secretary Healey addressed the ongoing developments, stating that details of a U.S. security guarantee for Ukraine are currently being developed.

He emphasized that the decisions made in the coming weeks would have long-term implications for global security.

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Healey remarked, “We’re in a new era of threat, and that demands a new era for defence.”

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During the meeting, Healey also acknowledged that European nations recognize the need to increase defence spending and have been taking steps toward doing so.

Economists at the Institute for Fiscal Studies have warned that increasing the UK’s defence spending while maintaining other public services could require additional tax hikes.

The UK government has yet to provide specific details on how it plans to meet its commitment to raising defence spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) as part of its strategic defence review.

As European nations grapple with growing security challenges, the stakes are high, and the decisions made in the coming weeks will play a critical role in shaping the future of both European and global security.