The row on Remembrance Sunday came as Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) prepares to discuss the future direction of the war in Ukraine with France ‘s president

Darren Jones (pictured on Sunday) refused to confirm that the Government will raise defence funding to 2.5 per cent of GDP by the end of the current Parliament

Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin has warned that Britain needs to ‘strengthen our Armed Forces’ in a ‘more dangerous world’

Lord West, former First Sea Lord and a security minister under the previous Labour government, said: ‘There is no doubt whatsoever that the UK needs to spend more money on defence’

The Prime Minister will hold talks with Emmanuel Macron today as he becomes the first UK leader since Winston Churchill to mark Armistice Day in Paris.

Former head of the Army Lord Dannatt told the Mail: ‘With Trump resuming the presidency in the US, the UK Government would be well advised to commit to 2.5 per cent on defence by a definite date, well before 2029, as soon as possible.

‘Not to do so is a surefire way of getting on the wrong side of Trump. In any event, it is the right thing to do.’

Lord West, former First Sea Lord and a security minister under the previous Labour government, said: ‘There is no doubt whatsoever that the UK needs to spend more money on defence – it is well accepted. If we need to spend it, then we need to spend it now.

‘They’ve decided they’re not going to put more money into defence at the moment because they want to balance the books.

‘It seems extraordinary to me – why don’t they just admit defence and security of our nation is not the highest priority?’

Rear Admiral Chris Parry, who worked on the 1998 strategic defence review, said the 2.5 per cent target needed to be reached ‘tomorrow’, adding: ‘We should start buying ammunition and missiles to send a very clear signal that we’re serious. We’ve got to make a statement.’

And Tory defence spokesman James Cartlidge said: ‘Labour must urgently give us a firm deadline for reaching 2.5 per cent to ensure our future national security is maintained.’

Britain is on course to spend £57 billion on defence in the current financial year, equivalent to 2.3 per cent of GDP.

Rachel Reeves (C) operates a drone with Defence Secretary John Healey at the Stanford Training Area near Thetford on October 20

Britain is on course to spend £57 billion on defence in the current financial year, equivalent to 2.3 per cent of GDP

Second batch of £120m F-35 stealth fighter jets fly across Atlantic to join new RAF Dambusters squadron

This is above the 2 per cent minimum set for Nato members but no longer considered sufficient given the threats facing the West and the depleted state of the forces’ stockpiles.

Ahead of the election, the Tories pledged to increase military spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, reaching an estimated £87 billion that year. By contrast, Labour refused to put a date by which the new benchmark would be reached.

Mr Jones told the BBC yesterday: ‘We didn’t set a date in the manifesto for two reasons. The first is that we needed to conduct a strategic defence review, which is happening at the moment, and will report in the spring.

And the second is because, of course, with all spending decisions, it has to be subject to wider fiscal considerations.’

Asked if Labour would commit to keeping its promise by the end of the current Parliament in 2029, he replied: ‘I’m not going to give you a date today because it relies on the outcome of the strategic defence review.’

Told that he could commit to a point by which the promise would be met, Mr Jones said: ‘No, because it would be a half-informed answer.’

Asked by Sky News if defence spending will be dependent on growth figures, he said: ‘Defending the country is a non-negotiable. That is not a trade-off. The trade-off is then with other areas of public spending.’

Sir Tony told Sky News: ‘We’re in a more dangerous world. That means we need to strengthen our Armed Forces.’