Former NATO Head Warns Trump Is Wrong To Focus On 2% Defence Spending

A former head of NATO has said President Donald Trump is wrong to focus on 2% defence spending as too many European allies are failing to meet the target.

Instead, George Robertson said the US President should pay more attention to European investment in cyber technology.

Speaking at a gathering of former leaders of the so-called 'Five Eyes' intelligence alliance, the ex-Secretary General of the Alliance said:

"He would be better briefed to ask the question how much are the allies spending on cyber, how much are they spending on intelligence, how much are they spending on equipment, rather than on the gross amount of money.

"Some countries spend a lot but spend it on very little."

Five Eyes is the intelligence-sharing relationship between the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The agreement began as an intelligence-sharing arrangement between Britain and America during the Second World War and together they would monitor enemy radio signals. It later expanded to include the other three nations. 

Former US Deputy National Security Advisor explained its significance:

"Five Eyes is the gold standard in intelligence ... It's because it doesn't come from a single national institutional source, it comes from five."