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| Trump: Nato states to increase defence funding | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| US President Donald Trump says Nato countries have agreed to increase their military spending. | US President Donald Trump says Nato countries have agreed to increase their military spending. |
| Speaking after a two-day summit in Brussels, he said allies had committed to spending more than 2% of their annual output (GDP) on defence budgets. | Speaking after a two-day summit in Brussels, he said allies had committed to spending more than 2% of their annual output (GDP) on defence budgets. |
| The president has been highly critical of the alliance, complaining the US pays more than others. | The president has been highly critical of the alliance, complaining the US pays more than others. |
| After the meeting, he said he believed in Nato and it was "presently unnecessary" to consider quitting it. | After the meeting, he said he believed in Nato and it was "presently unnecessary" to consider quitting it. |
| "We made a tremendous amount of progress today," he said. "It has been really amazing to see the level of spirit in that room." | |
| Mr Trump has previously urged Nato allies to commit at least 4% of their annual output (GDP). | |
| He said Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg had given "total credit" to him for the increased spending, which he said he instigated during his first Nato meeting last year. | |
| Mr Stoltenberg has yet to speak. | |
| In a separate briefing, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was a clear commitment to Nato from all attendees. | |
| There had been concern that President Trump might leave the alliance. But Nato sources, speaking to Reuters, said he had denied making such a threat. | |
| Mr Trump's early-morning tweets from Brussels had been typically critical. | |
| The US leader has specifically singled out Germany for criticism over its defence spending. | |
| He has also accused the country of being held prisoner to imported Russian energy, saying it is "totally controlled" by Moscow. | |
| President Trump's next stop after Belgium is the UK, where he will arrive early in the afternoon to begin a two-day working visit, which is expected to spark public protests. |