Cameron: EU must be tougher on Russia and China

Lord Cameron will also urge Europe to spend more on defence. Photo: Simon Dawson/No.10 Downing Street

Lord Cameron will urge Europe to be «tougher and more assertive» in the face of Russian and Chinese aggression in a major foreign policy speech.

Speaking on Thursday at the National Cyber ​​Security Center in London, the Foreign Secretary will argue that Britain and its allies need to take a “tougher stance for a tougher world.”

Lord Cameron will also call on Europe to spend more on defence, saying the spending target for NATO members should rise from two per cent. GDP to 2.5% in line with government spending commitments.

The announcement comes a day after it was announced that a Russian defense attache would be expelled from the UK after British ministers branded him a spy .

Earlier this week it also emerged that a Ministry of Defense system used to store soldiers' names and bank details was hacked and Whitehall insiders blamed China.

Lord Cameron's speech was billed by the Foreign Office as his first «big picture» policy speech, in which he attempts to outline how Britain should approach a more dangerous world.

He will say, “We need to embrace a tougher edge for a tougher world. If Putin's illegal invasion teaches us anything, it is that too little action, too late only emboldens the aggressor.

“I see too many examples in this work where this lesson has not been learned. < /p>

“Take the Red Sea, where ship after ship was attacked. Although many countries criticized the Houthi attacks, only the US and UK were ready and able to step up and retaliate.

“Or defense spending in Europe, where some still seem reluctant to invest even as war rages on our continent.

“Or women's rights, where some are so intimidated by accusations of colonialism that they won't condemn practices such as female genital mutilation, ignoring survivors' calls for its eradication. .

“This cannot go on. We need to be tougher and more assertive.”

The address clearly expresses Westminster's disappointment that like-minded countries have not done more to tackle the problems the West has faced recently.
 
Last month, Mr Sunak announced that UK defense spending would rise from 2.3. percent of GDP to 2.5 percent by 2030.

The UK is pushing for NATO to adopt the 2.5 percent target for all members, despite the fact that until recently less than half alliance countries spent more than two percent.