Trump hails NATO unity, vows faster U.S. arms production as allies ramp up defence spending

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised what he described as “tremendous unity” among NATO allies and vowed to step up American defense production, saying European countries were willing to buy US-made military equipment as they sought to boost defense spending.

Speaking at the press conference held after the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said that he informed allied leaders about US efforts to rapidly increase arms production.

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“They (European countries) want American equipment because it works better,” Trump said.

“I gave other leaders an update on the steps we were taking to rapidly increase production in the United States. They wanted to hear about it, too, because they want to get it in a week, not in four years, five years.”

Trump also noted that NATO members have made significant progress toward meeting the alliance’s goal of spending 5 percent of GDP on defense, saying this is an important step in strengthening the bloc’s collective security.
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The US president’s remarks come as NATO allies continue to press for higher defense spending and faster procurement of military equipment in the face of growing security challenges in Europe and the Middle East.