European members of NATO must meet their commitments to spend two per cent of their GDP on defence budgets, the head of the military alliance said Monday, after speaking with US president-elect Donald Trump.
During his election campaign, Trump insisted on all members meeting the 2 per cent mark, warning that US support to allies could be contingent on this pledge being met.
"I am absolutely certain that even with new administration, we will have an administration absolutely committed to the NATO alliance," Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a summit in Istanbul, after speaking with Trump on Friday.
"He expressed very strong support for the NATO alliance," Stoltenberg added, but said he understood the president-elect's demands for fair burden sharing.
"If we expect the Americans to make good on their promise to defend us, we have to make sure to meet our pledge," he said.
"I am very encouraged we have stopped the cuts but there is a long way to go, so there is no chance to relax."
However, Stoltenberg's demands to increase spending could be a problem for some members of the European Union, who also have to make sure to keep their budget deficits in line with Brussels' regulations.
Estonia, one of several EU nations which is spending above two per cent, voiced concerns at the NATO summit about what it sees as Russian aggression in its region, and whether the alliance would come to its defence and provide adequate deterrence.
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