The Czech Republic said on Wednesday that it is open to spending more on defence, as demanded by US President-elect Donald Trump. "We are open to this debate," Prime Minister Petr Fiala said, emphasizing that money invested in defence was money well spent.

NATO's current target for members' defense spending is 2 percent of their country's GDP. Trump has repeatedly called on the alliance to increase this amount.

His comments echo previous demands made by incoming US President Donald Trump that Nato countries should spend 4% of their national income on defence - double the current target of 2%. A major Nato exercise will begin in Eastern Europe in mid-January,

Even before being sworn in, Donald Trump harshly criticised European NATO countries. He also changed his stance on ending the conflict in Ukraine, suggesting he could achieve it within half a year, not in 24 hours as he previously claimed.