Donald Trump has issued a call for NATO to stop terrorism in its tracks to prevent a repeat of the atrocity in Manchester.
Speaking at a NATO summit in Brussels, the US president said Monday's Manchester Arena murders showed that the military alliance must focus on "terrorism and immigration" alongside its traditional priority of dealing with the threat from Russia.
Watched by Prime Minister Theresa May and leaders of other member states, Trump castigated countries which have failed to meet the NATO target of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence, and suggested that this figure should be increased in future.
"For 23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they are supposed to be paying for their defence," he said.
"This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States and many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years and not paying in those past years.
"Over the last eight years, the United States spent more on defence than all other Nato countries combined."
Trump restated his controversial description of those behind the Manchester attack as "losers".
"Terrorism must be stopped in its tracks or the horror we saw in Manchester and so many other places will continue forever," he said.
"You have thousands and thousands of people pouring into our various countries and spreading throughout and in many cases we have no idea who they are.
"We must be tough. We must be strong. And we must be vigilant.
"The NATO of the future must include a great focus on terrorism and immigration, as well as on threats from Russia and on NATO's eastern and southern borders."
NATO leaders observed a moment's silence in honour of the victims of bomber Salman Abedi, before a speech in which Trump said: "The recent attack in Manchester in the United Kingdom demonstrates the depths of the evil we face with terrorism.
"Innocent young girls and so many others were horribly murdered and badly injured while attending a concert," he said.
"Beautiful lives with so much great potential torn from their families forever and ever.
"It was a barbaric and vicious attack upon our civilisation. All people who cherish life must unite in finding, exposing and removing these killers and extremists and, yes, losers. They are losers.
"Wherever they exist in our societies, we must drive them out and never, ever let them back in."
