Europe must not bow to U.S. spending demands on NATO - EU's Juncker

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg brief the media during a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday that Europe must not cave in to U.S demands to raise military spending, arguing that development and humanitarian aid could also count as security.

U.S. President Donald Trump has raised questions about his commitment to the NATO defence alliance if European countries do not raise defence spending to 2 percent of economic output. The United States puts up 70 percent of alliance funds.