Trump hails Nato pledge to increase defence spending

US president praised by secretary general Mark Rutte for persuading European allies to commit to 5 per cent target

- MILLIE COOKE

European leaders in Nato have agreed to a historic increase in defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP - and praised Donald Trump for driving the uplift.

Secretary general Mark Rutte fawned over the US president for intervening in the conflict between Iran and Israel, likening him to a "daddy" figure overseeing two warring sides and calling the US president "a man of strength" for piling pressure on allies to put more money into security against a backdrop of worsening global tensions and the war in Ukraine.

The new spending pledge - 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence by 2035, and 1.5 per cent on security and resilience measures was described by Mr Trump as a “monumental win" for the US, Europe, and "Western civilisation".

He said Nato allies had shown an "unbelievable" love for their countries, conceding that the alliance is no longer a "rip-off" for the United States after having previously berated his fellow members for not contributing enough. "They want to protect their country and they need the United States," he said. "I left here differently. I left here saying that these people really love their countries, it's not a rip-off, and we're here to help them protect their country."

At a news conference, Mr Rutte told the president: "You made this possible."