Kallas points out that member states spent an average of 1.9% of GDP on this matter last year, far from the 5% that the US President threatens to impose on NATO. "President Trump is right in saying that we do not spend enough.

Europe should welcome rather than rebuff U.S. President Donald Trump's call for other NATO members to ramp up their military spending, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday, stressing the importance of security to the continent.

EU leaders highlight the urgency to boost defence spending in response to Russia's growing threat. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Polish PM Donald Trump stress the need to heed US President Trump's call for increased military budgets and to support Ukraine against Russian aggression.

The EU's top diplomat and Poland's prime minister said Wednesday that the bloc must heed US President Donald Trump's demand to spend much more on defence -- faced with the "existential threat" posed by Russia.

As Donald Trump begins his second term in office, he has called for NATO members to raise their defence budgets to five per cent of GDP.