On first visit to Europe since taking office, US vice-president tells Munich conference Nato allies must step up their contributions 
 
 The US vice-president has delivered the most uncompromising message yet from the Trump administration to Nato allies that they have to step up financial contributions towards defence spending. “The time has come to do more,” he said. A dig at Trump - Jonathan Marcus, defence correspondent 
 
 Speaking before Mr Pence, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said the question now facing the trans-Atlantic community was whether "we will be able to act in concert or fall back into parochial politics" - a subtle but clear dig at Mr Trump's mantra of "America First". His comments came amid huge controversy in the US over ties between the Trump administration and Russia, and concern in Europe over whether the new administration would attempt to restrain Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He said: “As of this moment, the US and only four other Nato members meet that basic standard.” 
 
 Those four countries are the UK, Estonia, Greece and Poland. The vice-president pointed out that apart from the US, only four Nato countries had met a 2014 commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defence. When Mr Pence took to the stage he stressed that he was bringing a message of reassurance from the new president, who would "unwaveringly" back America's Nato allies.  Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Nato countries are failing to meet their commitments, Mike Pence said 
 
 The US will be "unwavering" in its support for Nato, vice-president Mike Pence told European leaders at the Munich Security Conference. While the US wanted a new relationship with Russia, he said that the US expected Russia to honour the 2015 Minsk peace agreement aimed at ending violence in Ukraine. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Mike Pence: "With regard to Ukraine...we must hold Russia accountable" 
 
 Mr Pence went on to say that the US would "continue to hold Russia accountable, even as we search for new common ground, which as you know, President Trump believes can be found". Asked directly what she thought about the Trump administration's rhetorical onslaught against sections of the media, Ms Merkel insisted that freedom of the press was a pillar of democracy.
– Mike Pence promised NATO allies Saturday that they had the "unwavering" support of the US, while also making it clear that the administration considers most of them to be freeloaders. The vice president, speaking to European leaders at the Munich Security Conference, said European countries are failing to "pay their fair share" on defense, the BBC reports. Pence said only four other NATO countries—the UK, Greece, Estonia, and Poland—met a commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense. "The time has come to do more," Pence said, echoing President Trump's campaign rhetoric. Pence said the US plans to boost military spending and will "hold Russia accountable" for its actions in Ukraine. "Peace only comes through strength," Pence said, per the Wall Street Journal. "President Trump believes we must be strong in our military might." German Chancellor Angela Merkel also addressed the conference and said Germany will increase its spending to meet NATO's target, but it won't be rushed into it, the Guardian reports. She added that it would be a mistake to believe that defense spending is the only way to boost security. "Security is ensured just as much by increasing one’s development spending," she said. Merkel said the US was a valuable partner in the fight against terrorism, along with Islamic nations who can show "that a misguided Islam, rather than Islam itself, is the cause of terrorism."