NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a news conference after participating in the NATO Summit in Brussels, Belgium July 12, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s call on allies to spend more on defense has had a clear impact and made NATO stronger, alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference following a summit in Brussels.

Asked about a closed-door meeting in which officials said Trump told allies to reach a NATO target or the United States would “go it alone”, Stoltenberg said: “We had a very frank and open discussion... That discussion has made NATO stronger. It has created a new sense of urgency,” he said.

“The fact that we had this open discussion has also clearly stated that we will redouble our efforts and it also shows that a clear message from President Trump is having an impact.”