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.

NATO defense ministers are meeting in Brussels to address U.S. President Donald Trumps call for member states to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP, up from the current 2% target. The discussions come ahead of the

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