Taking PMQs before heading to the US for crucial talks with Donald Trump, Keir Starmer was challenged that the rise to 2.5 per cent of GDP is actually more like £6billion

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told the premier that even Defence Secretary John Healey had acknowledged as much in interviews this morning

The PM will fly to Washington as he braces for a crucial meeting tomorrow where he will urge Donald Trump (pictured) to stand by Nato and Ukraine

In a hopeful sign, Kyiv (pictured, Volodymyr Zelensky) and America look to be on the brink of agreeing a deal to exploit mineral resources – which could encourage Mr Trump to maintain support

In the Commons, Ms Badenoch said: ‘He announced £13.4billion in additional defence spending yesterday. This morning, his Defence Secretary said the uplift is only £6billion. Which is the correct figure?’

The PM replied: ‘If you take the numbers for this financial year and then the numbers for the financial year 27/28 that’s £13.4billion increase. That is the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, which will put us in a position to ensure the security and defence of our country and of Europe.’

 Speaking to BBC Breakfast earlier, Mr Healey was asked about criticism of the figures and said ‘the definition of defence numbers can be done in different ways’.

He explained: ‘You can take it as a percentage of GDP, you can take it as cash terms.

‘What Keir Starmer was talking about yesterday was the increase in hard cash that will be spent on defence in two years’ time compared to what’s being spent today.’

Pushed on whether the £13.4billion figure would be correct if the assumption was that the Government did not increase the defence budget year on year in line with inflation, Mr Healey said: ‘That’s a cash number.’

He added: ‘In real terms, taking in inflation, it would be something over £6billion. Either way, this is a big boost for defence.’

Paul Johnson, director of the respected Institute for Fiscal Studies, said yesterday that ministers are playing ‘silly games with numbers’ and have provided ‘totally inconsistent figures’ measured against different benchmarks.

IFS associate director, Ben Zaranko said the increase in spending would amount to around £6 billion.

Mr Zaranko said: ‘As a minor note to what is a major announcement, the Prime Minister followed in the steps of the last government by announcing a misleadingly large figure for the ‘extra’ defence spending this announcement entails.

‘An extra 0.2 per cent of GDP is around £6billion, and this is the size of the cut to the aid budget. Yet he trumpeted a £13 billion increase in defence spending.

‘It’s hard to be certain without more detail from the Treasury, but this figure only seems to make sense if one thinks the defence budget would otherwise have been frozen in cash terms.’

Writing in the Mail, Sir Keir trumpeted his vow to hike military spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027.

The premier dismissed Labour complaints about slashing the foreign aid budget to fund the move, saying the world is entering an ‘era of hard power’ and capabilities had to be ramped up.

He argued that the deteriorating world order posed a ‘generational’ challenge and Britain ‘cannot hide’ from the growing threat posed by Russia and other hostile states.

‘The realities of our dangerous new era mean that hard power must now take precedence,’ he said.

‘The national security of our country must always come first.’

Sir Keir has set an ambition of spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence ‘in the next Parliament’.

But it is not clear how that would be paid for, with the foreign aid budget now set to fall from 0.5 per cent of national income to 0.3 per cent.

Although Sir Keir claimed his commitment will mean £13.4billion a year extra for defence from 2027, in fact it is more like £6billion in real terms.

The step was welcomed by the Trump administration, with defense secretary Pete Hegseth saying it was ‘a strong step from an enduring partner’.

However, Mr Trump has argued that European states should be spending 5 per cent of GDP on defence – far more than the US does.

And many critics warned said the boost will not be enough.

Former defence secretary Ben Wallace said it was a ‘staggering desertion of leadership’.

Aid charities also vented fury at the cut, with Labour former Cabinet minister David Miliband saying it was a ‘blow to Britain’s proud reputation as a global humanitarian and development leader’.

There has been huge pressure – including from a Mail campaign – to invest more in the UK’s security.

Alarm has been growing in Europe over how reliable an ally America will be under Mr Trump.

Earlier this week the US took an axe to decades-old alliances at the UN – voting with Russia, China and North Korea on resolutions about Ukraine.

It is thought to be the first time since 1945 that America has sided with Russia at the international body on an issue of European security.

The president used an awkward meeting with Emmanuel Macron in Washington on Monday to suggest it will be for Europe to provide guarantees in Ukraine if he strikes a peace deal with Moscow, three years after Putin ‘s full-scale invasion.

Mr Trump also jibed at another erstwhile ally, calling Canadian premier Justin Trudeau ‘governor’ in a reference to his claim that the country should become a US state.

Mr Trump reiterated his intention of imposing ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on the EU and UK over VAT – even though it is a sales tax rather than being levied on imports alone.

Sir Keir and Mr Macron held a phone debrief on the latter’s visit last night, and European leaders are expected to hold a summit in the UK on Sunday to take stock of events.

The president used an awkward meeting with Emmanuel Macron in Washington on Monday to suggest it will be for Europe to provide guarantees in Ukraine if he strikes a peace deal with Moscow

In a round of interviews this morning, Defence Secretary John Healey denied the UK had been too weak in its approach to Mr Trump.

He told Times Radio: ‘I think the UK has been really firm about the sort of principles and what’s required.

‘We’re recognising and we share President Trump’s aims to bring a durable peace and an end to the Ukraine conflict.

‘He’s pledged to bring Putin to the negotiating table.

‘There’s some way to go on that, and in the end, the US is the only force strong enough to put pressure on Putin to negotiate, and the only strongest force to stand behind any long-term peace to make sure that it doesn’t become a pretext for Putin to regroup, re-arm, reload, and then re-invade.’