MADRID, March 8, (AP): European Union leaders on Friday downplayed skepticism from US President Donald Trump about solidarity among NATO members a day after they backed plans to spend more on defense amid wavering US support. After European leaders committed Thursday to freeing up hundreds of billions of euros for security, Trump said he was "not so sure” that the military alliance would come to the United States’ defense if the country were attacked.

"We are loyal and faithful allies,” French President Emmanuel Macron said late Thursday in response, expressing "respect and friendship” toward US leaders and adding that France was "entitled to expect the same.” Māris Riekstins, Latvia’s ambassador to NATO, stressed the military alliance remained the most important platform for addressing transatlantic security issues.

He emphasized the commitment from his country - which shares a nearly 300-kilometer (186-mile) border with Russia - to defense spending. The Baltic country last month said spending should be increased to 4% of GDP next year and move toward 5%. Trump’s repeated warnings that he would make European allies face the threat of Russia alone has spurred countries that for decades faltered on defense spending to find ways to bolster their security and back Ukraine in its war against Russia.

On Thursday, EU leaders signed off on a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries could increase their military spending. Following the emergency talks in Brussels, Trump again suggested that the US could abandon its NATO commitments if member countries didn’t meet the alliance’s defense spending targets. He expressed doubt that other allies will come to the defense of the US - though they have done so after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the only instance in which the Article 5 mutual defense guarantee was invoked.

The US president has criticized the alliance for years, arguing that European members have not contributed enough toward their own security. In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his country would raise defense spending to reach NATO’s target faster than previously committed. But he did not specify when the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy - and NATO laggard - would hit the 2% of GDP military spending target. Spain spent an estimated 1.28% of GDP on defense last year. Italy and Belgium also spent less than the 2% target last year, according to NATO estimates.