European leaders privately set out plans on defence spending, says NATO's Rutte

'This was very good news that more European countries will ramp up defence spending,' the NATO chief said.

London: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that some European leaders had privately set out new plans on defence spending during a meeting in London, but he declined to give details, saying it was for individual leaders to set them out.

"Today at the table I heard new announcements, and I'm not going to announce them to you, because they should do this. But this was very good news that more European countries will ramp up defence spending," Rutte told reporters outside the meeting on Sunday.