BRUSSELS: NATO defence ministers on Thursday pushed to bolster the alliance's defences, as they weighed the calamitous end to their involvement in Afghanistan. "We are in the midst of a transformation of NATO. Over the last years we have stepped up and refocused on our collective defence to protect our own territory," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the start of a two-day meeting in Brussels.

Ministers were set to agree new targets to boost each country's military capabilities and an overall plan on defending the Euro-Atlantic area. The strategy was aimed at "ensuring we have the right forces in the right place at the right time," Stoltenberg said. NATO has stepped up its defences in Europe since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and is increasingly facing up to the challenge posed by China.