Tobias Ellwood MP, Chair of the Defence Select Committee, urged the Government to increase the UK’s defence spending to three percent of GDP – at present the country spends around two percent.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mr Ellwood warned the UK’s “whole security apparatus” needs an “urgent review”.
He added that the UK is entering a “new era of instability” as a result of the relationship between Russia and China, stressing that the “world is getting more dangerous, not less”.
He also criticised the Government for “running away from the fight” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging the UK to “do more” to support and defend Ukraine.
Mr Ellwood said: “What needs to change immediately is our appetite to support our Ukrainian friends in need.
“A sovereign state has been attacked, invaded by another sovereign state in Europe. Are we going to sit back and watch?
“We’ve been so hesitant and risk-averse, for fear of antagonising Putin, failing to recognise that this plays into his hands.”
According to the Military Balance 2022 report, by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the UK has the third-largest defence expenditure in the world.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has entered its ninth day since the invasion began on February 24.
In the latest developments on the ground in Ukraine, Russian troops have attacked the Zaporizhzhia power station, shelling the facility and risking the creation of a nuclear disaster.
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