Europe must brace for decade of Ukraine War – Nato chief

Mr Stoltenberg said he was confident that the US would remain in the alliance because “it’s in the US security interest to have a strong Nato”.

There is also a “strong bipartisan support for Nato in United States, both in the Congress, but also in the opinion polls”, he argued.

Asked whether a second Trump term could mean less funding for Nato, Mr Stoltenberg said: “The right thing to do regardless of what you think about the US commitment to Nato is to invest more in our defence.

“First of all, it increases the likelihood that the US will stay a strong ally.

“Second, if something really bad does happen then it is good we have stronger European and Canadian defence capabilities.”

Mr Stoltenberg said the ex-US president made “absolutely right and valid criticisms” of European allies for not spending enough on defence and relying too much on the US.

But “this has now changed”, he added.

Nato members of the military alliance pledged to spend at least 2% of the value of their economies – measured by GDP – on defence per year by 2024.

The UK is one of the 23 of Nato’s 32 members to achieve the target this year – spending 2.3% of GDP on defence.

Mr Stoltenberg said: “Nato is the most successful alliance in history because, despite our differences, we have always been able to unite around our core values: to protect and defend each other.

“I expect that to be the case after the US elections.”