NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg | John Thys/AFP/Getty NATO chief celebrates ‘close to zero’ defense cuts Jens Stoltenberg praised trend toward more military spending in his 2015 annual report, but he wants more of it.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg praised the change in trend on military spending in Europe on Thursday, saying cutbacks had practically stopped — while urging more action to counter threats from Russia and in the Mediterranean.

“After many years of substantial cuts in defense spending, the cuts have now practically stopped among European allies and Canada,” he said, presenting NATO's 2015 annual report. “In 2015, defense cuts were close to zero.”

Five out of the 28 NATO countries spent 2 percent of their GDP on defense in 2015 — a quota that all members are supposed to meet, but which in practice few do.

The U.S., U.K., Greece, Estonia and Poland all met the quota. Sixteen other countries spent more on defense in real terms, and 23 spent more on equipment than they had in the previous year, said Stoltenberg, who pointed to a “a more assertive Russia” and “turmoil in the south” as reasons for the change.

“Over the past year our world has become more dangerous and unpredictable. NATO is adapting to keep our nations safe,” he said. “But we all need to do more ...We have to stop the cuts and gradually increase defense spending.”

“[There is] a changed and more challenging security environment and Russia is of course part of that,” he said.

Since Russia’s takeover of Crimea in 2014, NATO has been increasingly active in Eastern Europe. Stoltenberg pointed to a need to reinforce the alliance’s eastern flank, saying the new 5,000-strong “spearhead” force — based in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria — was a step in the right direction.

However, Stoltenberg said NATO does not foresee a “Cold War structure with combat troops based along the borders.”

“We need to find the right balance [between presence] in the eastern part of the alliance, combined with increased capability to provide reinforcement if needed, he said.