USA to UK: Increase defense budget - or we will change historical position

The Pentagon is considering opposing British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands as a means of pressure if British Prime Minister Andy Burnham does not increase defense spending, according to a report in the Telegraph. This is one of several steps that senior Pentagon officials are formulating to encourage allies to meet the NATO spending target — 5 percent of GDP.

A senior US official told the newspaper that the UK is expected to receive "special attention" in a review Washington is conducting of allied commitments. Regarding the possibility that the US will change its position on the Falklands, he added: "The conversations are frank, and no option is ruled out."

The US officially takes a neutral position on the question of sovereignty over the islands, which Argentina also claims, but recognizes British control over them. An internal Pentagon memo leaked in April first revealed the idea of using the issue as a diplomatic lever. Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the importance of the leak at the time, but according to the Telegraph, the discussion on the subject continues.

The pressure comes just days before the first budget to be presented by Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey, which will be presented on October 28 and is not expected to include a commitment to reach 3 percent of GDP in defense spending by 2030. Healey himself, who resigned in June as Defense Secretary, argued at the time that the Prime Minister is "incapable" and the Treasury is "not prepared" to spend the funds necessary for the country's defense.

The Donald Trump administration is pushing NATO toward what US officials call "NATO 3.0," in which European countries and Canada will bear the primary responsibility for the conventional defense of Europe. Pentagon policy official Elbridge Colby met with allies in Brussels on Thursday and told reporters: "We hope to see more from countries like the UK," while praising Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and the Scandinavian countries.

In closed-door meetings, he also expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of "red" in the assessment of the military readiness of alliance countries, which are ranked by a traffic light system of green, orange, and red. As part of the review, the US distributed a questionnaire to NATO ambassadors with questions about plans to purchase American weapons, restrictions on US use of military bases, and support for Donald Trump's foreign policy.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will receive by November 6 four alternatives for the scope of US forces that will remain in Europe and their locations. NATO countries have committed to reaching 3.5 percent of GDP in defense spending by 2035 and another 1.5 percent in defense infrastructure, partly to fill the void that the US will leave by shifting its focus to the Indo-Pacific region. A recent US intelligence assessment indicated that Russia could attack NATO's eastern flank within weeks to test the alliance's resolve.