NATO countries are using creative math to meet the U.S. president’s demand to more than double annual spending, partly by expanding what counts beyond soldiers and weapons.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that many countries appeared to be on track to agree to spending 5% of gross domestic product on their security needs.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said he was confident that members of the NATO alliance would sign up to President Donald Trump's demand for a major boost in defence spending, adding that it had to happen by a summit later in June.