NATO agrees to Baltics defence plan

Erdogan appears to withdraw threat to block plan boosting defence in states neighbouring Russia and Poland.

Following a day of drama that revealed deep wounds within NATO, members of the military alliance meeting near London attempted to put on a united front by adopting a common summit statement as they agreed to an updated defence plan for the Baltics and Poland, which Turkey had previously threatened to block.

Read more: Donald Trump mocked by NATO leader who was caught on camera

NATO leaders said in a concluding statement that Russia's "aggressive actions" were a threat to Euro-Atlantic security, and that China’s growing influence presented opportunities and challenges for the alliance.

"Our solemn commitment as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty that an attack against one ally shall be considered an attack against us all," they said.

NATO member Turkey had warned it would refuse to endorse a plan to bolster the defence of the Baltic states neighbouring Russia and Poland, with President Tayyip Erdogan demanding the alliance recognise groups that Ankara deems terrorists, including the YPG militia.

But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Wednesday that "we stand together, all for one and one for all. Our commitment to article 5, the collective defense clause of our alliance, is ironclad."

Stoltenberg said members did not discuss the YPG militia.

"Stoltenberg said they were moving forward with the protection of Poland and the Baltic states, but it was not really clear whether there was a total resolution," said Al Jazeera's James Bays, reporting from Watford. "It is clear he's trying to paper over the differences we've seen in the open since NATO leaders arrived here."

On Tuesday, US President Trump and his French counterpart clashed over the role and future of NATO, with the US leader entering a war of words between Emmanuel Macron and Erdogan.

Trump tore into Macron during a 52-minute press conference, rallying against European tax policies and criticising the French leader's remark that NATO was "brain dead" as "very, very nasty."

Macron stood by his comment and, referring to Turkey, said members disagreed over the definition of terrorism with regard to the YPG militia.

The French president first made his assessment of NATO in a November 7 interview with The Economist, as he criticised a lack of coordination between members of the alliance over Turkey's recent operation in Syria. 

Erdogan later responded, challenging Macron to check his own "brain death".

Several other NATO members also disagreed with Turkey's operation, with some suspending arms sales to Ankara.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Stoltenberg said members declared space as the "fifth operational domain", as they agreed to prepare for conflicts in space, the Arctic and computer networks, as well as traditional land, sea and air battles.

NATO warned China for the first time that it is monitoring Beijing's growing military might.

After the meeting ended, Trump described Justin Trudeau as "two-faced" after the Canadian prime minister was caught on camera apparently mocking him.

"He's two-faced," he told reporters, saying he had called out Trudeau on defence spending "and he's not very happy about it".