NATO foreign ministers on Thursday gathered in the Turkish city of Antalya to discuss ramping up defence expenditure with the U.S., and calling for the current target to be doubled.

Washington has repeatedly urged allies to agree to spend five per cent of gross domestic product on defence at the upcoming NATO summit in June.

Currently, NATO members are committed to spending at least two per cent of their gross domestic product, though not all have achieved the goal.

NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte said,  “We have to make sure that we spend enough money all over NATO to keep ourselves safe. The money is needed to protect the alliance from different threats, including Russia, the military buildup in China and terrorism and also to ramp up NATO’s defence industrial production.

”We need to produce more all over NATO, particularly when we look at Russia; we have to beat them when it comes to defence industrial production.’’

He added that the extra money was also needed to ensure that Ukraine prevails by collectively helping it bring the war to a lasting and durable peace.

”We have to think about what we can do to make sure that we have all the defence-related expenditures in place.

”For example, to make sure that bridges are there for you and me to drive our cars, but also, if necessary, to make sure that the bridge will hold a tank,’’ he added.

(dpa/NAN)