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US Defence Secretary James Mattis (left) and Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg
UNITED States Defence Secretary James Mattis and Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg pressed other members of the cold-war alliance today to ramp up their spending on armaments.
Mr Mattis was in Brussels to meet the defence ministers of Nato countries, 15 of which have submitted plans to increase their military spending to 2 per cent of economic output by 2024.
That followed a threat by US President Donald Trump to withdraw support from those countries judged not to be spending enough on war.
We need a government that invests in saving lives not destroying them, argues SOPHIE BOLT
Israel angered after US president lifts sanctions on Turkey, opening way for potential sale of F-35 fighter jets
The growing argument that welfare must be sacrificed for ‘security’ is built on nothing but myth, argues MICHAEL BURKE