Poland and the Baltic states also withdrew from the Ottawa Convention despite pleas from some leaders to maintain decorum in the face of Russian aggression.

Russia has criticised the planned deployment of longer-range U.S. missiles in Germany as a serious threat to its national security.

NATO needs to increase long-range missiles to confront Russia. Last June, they also raised their defense spending target.

Romania has said it will acquire the Iron Dome missile defense system used by Israel to protect the NATO country from short-range missiles. Defense minister Ionuț Moșteanu told Romanian television that a deal would be signed this year with manufacturer Rafael "to defend our cities."

NATO members that border Russia are buying US-made HIMARS. One defense minister told BI that the war shows deep strike abilities are needed.

President Donald Trump told NBC News in a Thursday night interview that NATO will foot the bill for U.S.-supplied Patriot missile shipments to Ukraine.

Trump, however, has long been a NATO skeptic. He has excoriated NATO as a financial drain on the United States, and it was reported that several times during his first term he even privately threatened to withdraw from it.

The NATO secretary-general said that China could spark World War III by seeking to take control of Taiwan while making sure that the Kremlin would simultaneously launch an attack against NATO territory.

President Trump announces arrangement where NATO pays for US weapons sent to Ukraine, as Russian strikes intensify across Ukraine, including an attack on a maternity hospital.