STORY: NATO leaders were set to sign up to a big increase in defence spending on Wednesday (June 25) at a short summit tailor-made for U.S. President Donald Trump, who struck a reassuring tone on his commitment to protecting fellow members of the alliance.

The summit, taking place in the Dutch city The Hague, is expected to endorse a higher defence spending goal of 5% of GDP - a response to a demand by Trump and to Europeans' fears that Russia poses a growing threat to their security following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

NATO leaders set to vote on defence spending boost as they gather in The Hague

VIDEO SHOWS: NATO LEADERS GATHERING FOR SUMMIT IN THE HAGUE / SOUNDBITES OF NATO SECRETARY GENERAL MARK RUTTE

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: CORRECTING IDENTITY OF WOMAN IN SHOT 1 TO TRANSLATOR (ORIGINALLY IDENTIFIED AS TURKISH FIRST LADY EMINE ERDOGAN)

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (JUNE 25) (NATO - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SPEAKING TO TURKISH PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGAN AND TRANSLATOR

2. NATO SECRETARY GENERAL MARK RUTTE WITH OTHER NATO LEADERS ENTERING ROOM

3. WIDE OF MEETING ROOM

4. TRUMP SPEAKING WITH GERMAN CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ

5. VARIOUS OF TRUMP SPEAKING TO ATTENDEES

6. FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON ENTERING ROOM AND GREETING ATTENDEES

7. HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR ORBAN SPEAKING TO HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PETER SZIJJARTO

8. LEADERS IN MEETING ROOM

9. RUTTE GREETING DUTCH PRIME MINISTER DICK SCHOOF

10. ERDOGAN GREETING SPANISH PRIME MINISTER PEDRO SANCHEZ

11. TRUMP GREETING ATTENDEES

12. MACRON, BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER AND DANISH PRIME MINISTER METTE FREDERIKSEN SPEAKING

13. LEADERS IN ROOM

14. TRUMP WALKING / GREETING ATTENDEES

15. RUTTE SPEAKING

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, MARK RUTTE, SAYING:

"We stand together, united in NATO, the most powerful defensive alliance in world history. History has shown that North America and Europe working together is a winning combination."

17. LEADERS SEATED

18. STARMER LOOKING ON

19. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, MARK RUTTE, SAYING/SOUNDBITE CONTINUING OVER SHOT OF MACRON AND MERZ LISTENING:

"In this meeting, we will take historic, transformational decisions to make our people safer through a stronger, fairer, and more lethal NATO."

20. ORBAN AND ICELAND PRIME MINISTER KRISTRUN FROSTADOTTIR LISTENING

21. SANCHEZ AND SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER ULF KRISTERSSON TAKING NOTES

22. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, MARK RUTTE, SAYING/SOUNDBITE CONTINUING OVER SHOTS OF LEADERS SEATED, TRUMP LISTENING, ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER GIORGIA MELONI LISTENING:

"President Trump, dear Donald, you made this change possible. Your leadership on this has already produced one trillion dollars in extra spending from European allies since 2016. And the decisions today will produce trillions more for our common defence to make us stronger and fairer by equalizing spending between America and America's allies."

23. VARIOUS OF LEADERS SEATED