Trump is right on NATO spending boost, UK foreign minister says

By Lili Bayer

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is right to challenge NATO members to boost defence spending, Britain's foreign minister told Reuters on Wednesday.

David Lammy said he agreed with Trump that the alliance should move beyond its current goal of spending 2% of economic output on defence.

"I think Donald Trump is right to say that the 2% was set in some ways in less challenging times and all allies right across the family should be looking beyond that 2%," Lammy said at NATO's headquarters in Brussels, where he attended a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers.

"We're (Britain is) going to 2.5%, but he's right to challenge the alliance to come together and get beyond that," the foreign secretary said.

Trump has called on NATO members to boost defence spending to 3% of economic output. The alliance estimates 23 of its 32 members will meet its target of dedicating 2% of GDP to defence this year.

While a member of Britain's political opposition, Lammy in 2018 called Trump a tyrant.

The Labour Party to which Lammy belongs has been in government since July, and following the U.S. elections in November, Lammy has softened his tone on Trump, saying last month he would be able to find "common ground" with the incoming U.S. president.

Lammy, however, reiterated his government’s support for Kyiv during his visit to NATO.

Asked about plans, mooted by Trump's advisers, that could include taking Ukrainian NATO membership off the table, Lammy said: "I think it's absolutely the case that Ukraine's rightful place is within the NATO family and we in the United Kingdom are very, very supportive of that endeavour."

"I think it's also right to say that we see no prospect at the moment of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin negotiating," he added.

(Reporting by Lili Bayer; editing by Barbara Lewis)