The 23 EU members who also belong to NATO are likely to agree to raise the defence spending target above the current 2% of national output at a June summit of the alliance that will set a new level, European Council President Antonio Costa said.

Addressing EU lawmakers on Monday, NATO chief Mark Rutte insisted that Europe needs to massively ramp up its defence spending. "We are safe now, we might not be safe in five years," he said. The former Dutch prime minister warned the alliance’s threshold of 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) was "not nearly enough" to face the growing risk from