THE defence ministers of Europe’s five top military spenders said on Monday that meeting United States President-elect Donald Trump’s demand for them to raise spending to 5 per cent of their overall economic output was complicated.

The ministers with responsibility for the military in Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Poland came together near Warsaw for a meeting in a new format that they established after Mr Trump was re-elected last year. 

The five are seeking ways to maintain their support for Ukraine as US policy is expected to shift when Mr Trump takes power.