Global News Podcast UK weighs up faster rise in defence budget
Feb 16, 2026
Daniel Gallas, BBC Brazilian reporter, recounts a Rio Carnival row over a Lula float and colourful on-the-ground scenes. Vitaly Shevchenko, Russia editor, outlines allegations around Navalny's poisoning and the state of the opposition. James Landale, diplomatic correspondent, explains the UK considering raising defence spending to 3% and how that compares internationally.
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Paying For Defence Will Force Tough Choices
- Funding that increase will force cuts, higher taxes, or borrowing, each politically difficult.
- James Landale highlights defence inflation and existing commitments make the bill larger than expected.
Peer Pressure From European Allies
- European peers like Germany and Poland have already boosted defence and now pressure the UK to act faster.
- Landale notes the UK is falling behind in per-capita defence spending versus allies.
Navalny Remembered Amid New Poisoning Claims
- Two years after Alexei Navalny's death, supporters laid flowers and his mother called for justice.
- Vitaly Shevchenko and Marina Litvinenko compare this to past Kremlin poisonings and denials.