A proposal to exclude defence spending from European Union budget rules is a first step, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Wednesday, insisting that more was needed to beef up Europe's contribution to NATO.

Premier takes flight in the rarefied atmosphere of diplomacy, daring to go where no man — or woman — has gone.

Italy on Wednesday called on the European Union to help allow countries to boost their defence spending without infringing the bloc's budget rules, as member states grapple with U.S. pressure to pay more for their own security.