ROME (Reuters) - It is up to all NATO members to close gaps in their defences no matter the cost, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Friday, following talks with his European counterparts in Rome.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said his country is prepared to move toward spending 5% of its economic output on defense, backing a goal pushed by US President Donald Trump for NATO members and underscoring the new Berlin government’s more aggressive stance on the military.

Trump’s demand has rattled many European allies, particularly those already struggling to meet Nato’s existing target of spending at least two per cent of GDP on defence. None of Nato’s 32 members, including the United States,