The world is at a crossroads: It is not yet certain whether the 21st century will be defined by freedom or tyranny.
asserted
century → define → freedom
One thing we do know is that neither Britain nor America will be bystanders in the struggle.
asserted
Britain → know → struggle
History shows that whenever our allies call, our nations answer.
asserted
nations → show → ?
Today, there is nowhere more important for that call to be answered than in Ukraine.
asserted
call → be → Ukraine
Ukraine is the frontline for freedom and democracy everywhere — and while it might seem as if the war is a world away from our daily lives, the outcome matters to us all.
uncertain
outcome → seem → us
That’s because President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions do not stop at Ukraine: Should he prevail, he will move to his next target.
asserted
he → ’ → target
That could well be a NATO country, potentially triggering Article 5 — under which an attack on one is considered an attack on all.
uncertain
attack → trigger → all
But Ukraine is rewriting the rules of engagement.
asserted
Ukraine → rewrite → engagement
Today, a $650 drone can destroy a $4 million tank.
asserted
drone → destroy → tank
Uncrewed boats costing around $265,000 have sunk warships worth $65 million.
asserted
boats → cost → warships
The time between detecting and striking targets has compressed dramatically, and new technology can be deployed in weeks rather than years.
asserted
technology → detect → years
The lesson is clear: Military power is no longer measured simply by who has the biggest, most expensive hardware; it’s about who can innovate fastest, produce at scale and turn relatively cheap technology to devastating military effect.
asserted
who → measure → effect
This transformation presents our nations with big challenges.
asserted
transformation → present → challenges
It also presents a huge opportunity for us to work together toward a modern and exciting future.
asserted
us → present → future
The US-UK partnership has been forged through generations of shared history and sacrifice, but its future cannot run on the fumes of nostalgia.
asserted
future → forge → nostalgia
We have repeatedly proven that our nations’ collaboration out-innovates our rivals.
asserted
collaboration → prove → rivals
It’s not surprising: Together, we are home to the world’s smartest minds, finest universities and most creative companies.
asserted
we → ’ → minds
If we pool our resources, we can lead the development of defense technologies in drones, uncrewed vessels at sea, advanced fighter jets and the use of AI.
asserted
we → pool → AI
If the warfighting of the past century was characterized by our soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield, that of the next can be defined by our scientists, engineers and businesses working side-by-side in our labs, research institutes and factories.
asserted
that → characterize → labs
Making sure our armed forces are fit to face the future brings a domestic defense dividend.
asserted
forces → make → dividend
Investing in new equipment, technology and capabilities can have a multiplier effect across the rest of our economies.
asserted
Investing → invest → economies
In Britain, it is creating good, well-paid jobs in communities across the country and reawakening historic towns and cities where defense runs in the blood.
The same can be true across the NATO alliance: As we strengthen our collective security, we can strengthen our industrial base — a win-win.
asserted
we → create → base
We need to be able to out-produce, as well as out-innovate, our adversaries to sustain a successful warfighting machine.
asserted
We → need → machine
I also want us to be the causeway across the Atlantic that binds together Europe and America.
asserted
that → want → Europe
Britain is already heeding President Donald Trump’s call for Europe to step up.
asserted
Europe → heed → call
He is right to challenge us.
asserted
He → challenge → us
I do not share the view that the United States is disengaged or that this administration doesn’t care about Europe.
asserted
administration → share → Europe
Were that the case, Washington wouldn’t be giving us such a hard time about our defense spending and capabilities.
asserted
Washington → give → spending
But it’s also true that some of the choices we’ve made in Europe have been a constant frustration to our American friends over many years, many presidencies and on both sides of the aisle.
asserted
we → ’ → aisle
They have a point.
asserted
They → have → point
And we are listening.
asserted
we → listen → ?
Under this government, Britain is already making the largest sustained increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War.
asserted
Britain → make → War
We will meet our NATO target to spend 3.5% of GDP on defense by 2035.
asserted
We → meet → 2035
But in this age of insecurity, we need to go further.
That does not just mean spending more; it means pushing the frontiers of defense innovation so that we have an advantage over our adversaries.
asserted
we → need → adversaries
In times of our greatest peril, Britain and America have shown ourselves capable of achieving great things.
asserted
ourselves → show → things
We have stood tall on the world stage, steadfastly supported our allies and rescued the world from tyranny.
asserted
We → stand → tyranny
We have matched the courage of those who serve with the ingenuity of those who build.
asserted
who → match → those
We can still do all these things — and we will.
asserted
we → do → things
The Aporia
