NATO members need to hit spending target by June: US security advisor Waltz

U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on Thursday during a press conference at the White House that all NATO members should allocate at least 2% of their Gross Domestic Product to defense spending, a standard set in 2014.

The call to action comes ahead of the NATO summit, slated for June, where defense budgets are expected to be a central topic of discussion.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that NATO member states should spend 5 percent of their GDP, beyond the 2 percent guideline.

Currently, 18 of NATO's 32 member countries meet or exceed the 2 percent GDP defense spending benchmark. However, several nations, including Canada, have yet to reach this target.