NATO's current military structure will not be enough to protect the alliance as it prepares for increasingly offensive Russia's actions, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is expected to say in a farewell speech later today, Reuters reported, citing his prepared remarks.
"We must be ready to pay the price for peace. The more funds, the stronger our defense, the more effective our deterrence, the greater our security," said the pre-distributed text of Stoltenberg's speech.
"The good news is that we have fulfilled the promise we made ten years ago (to devote 2% of gross domestic product to defence). But the bad news is that this is no longer enough to keep us safe," he added.
Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister who has led NATO since 2014, will hand over the post to former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte on October 1.