NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that there had been an “unprecedented” 11% increase in defence spending by European members of the NATO alliance as well as Canada. By the end of 2024, Stoltenberg expects 18 NATO allies to spend 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. “Another record number,” he said. This is six times greater than 2014, when only three NATO allies met the defence spending target, Stoltenberg said before the meeting of the alliance’s defence ministers in Brussels. Overshadowing the two days of talks at NATO headquarters are comments by for…