How is the UK’s national security posture changing? Committee hears evidence amid major shifts in security environment
Recent months have seen major shifts in the assumptions underpinning UK national security, most notably a change in US support for European security and its approach to the Ukraine conflict. How should the UK respond, and what challenges and risks are posed by planning to offset strategic reliance on US security support?
The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy will consider these questions as it holds an evidence session on the UK’s strategic posture on Monday 28 April. Witnesses will include former senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, GCHQ and Cabinet Office, alongside academic experts.
Meeting details
They are likely to ask witnesses how changing policy from the United States affects the UK’s exposure to security risks at home and abroad, and the implications for the UK’s intelligence operations and cyber resilience.
They may explore whether the UK’s contributions to Ukraine’s defence are credible without significant US support, and consider the extent to which the UK should begin preparing to reduce its reliance on the most critical US defence capabilities.
The session comes ahead of the Government’s proposed new National Security Strategy, expected to be published this summer. MPs and peers will quiz security experts on how the new strategy should take account of a rapidly changing international environment.