Alva Review-Courier -

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday urged European allies and Canada to keep ramping up defense spending, as the alliance expands its command headquarters in response to a more assertive Russia.

Only eight of the 29 NATO member countries are forecast to reach this year the alliance's spending guideline of 2 percent of GDP as the world's biggest military alliance works to turn around over a quarter century of military cuts.

"To keep our nations safe, we need more defense spending, investment in key capabilities, and forces for NATO missions and operations," Stol...