NATO countries are using creative math to meet the U.S. president’s demand to more than double annual spending, partly by expanding what counts beyond soldiers and weapons.

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO defense ministers are set Thursday to approve purchasing targets for stocking up on weapons and military equipment to better defend Europe, the Arctic and the North Atlantic, as part of a U.S. push to ramp up security spending.

Gathered Thursday at the headquarters of the alliance in Brussels, the defense ministers of the 32 allied countries confirmed their commitment to strengthening their respective armed forces and to investing in new military equipment to ensure the continent's defense in the face of the Russian threat.