Pakistan, June 18 -- US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth praised Nato allies for increasing military spending but stressed that several countries must do more to meet the alliance's defence commitments during a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday.

Speaking ahead of the talks, Hegseth welcomed what he described as significant progress by member states in strengthening their defence budgets. However, he said some allies were still falling short of agreed targets and needed to accelerate their efforts.

"Many countries are following through, while some still need to do more," Hegseth said, adding that honest discussions among allies were necessary to ensure collective security.

His remarks come ahead of next month's Nato ...