Istanbul, 15 May 2025 (dpa/MIA) - NATO foreign ministers were gathering in the Turkish city of Antalya on Thursday to discuss ramping up defence expenditure, with the United States calling for the current target to be more than doubled.

Washington has repeatedly urged allies to agree to spending 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence at the upcoming NATO summit in June.

Currently, NATO members are committed to spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP), although not all have achieved the goal.

"We have to make sure that we spend enough money all over NATO to keep ourselves safe," said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, arriving at the meeting.

The money is needed to protect the alliance from different threads including Russia, the military built-up in China and terrorism, Rutte said, but also to ramp up NATO's defence industrial production.

"We need to produce more all over NATO, and particularly when we look at Russia," he said, adding "we have to beat them when it comes to defence industrial production."

The extra money is also needed "to make sure that Ukraine can prevail and that we can collectively help Ukraine to bring this war to a lasting and durable peace," Rutte said.

One possible compromise is to take into account significantly more expenditure on infrastructure for military use.

"We have to think about what we can do to make sure that we have all the defense-related expenditures in place," said Rutte.

"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.

Photo: epa