NATO chief says Europe meeting spending targets after Trump criticism

Days after former US President Donald Trump implied that Washington might not defend nations that did not spend enough, NATO said on Wednesday that Europe was fulfilling an alliance spending objective and that the US needed allies. In addition, NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg warned lawmakers that China would become more confident if Russia prevailed in its battle with Ukraine and pleaded with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to approve a "crucial" multibillion dollar military aid package for Ukraine. According to Stoltenberg, the European members of the transatlantic alliance will spend a total of $380 billion on defense this year, increasing…