Russian security chief calls NATO key threat, slams EU militarization, sanctions

ISTANBUL

NATO poses one of the “key threats” to Russia’s national security, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said in remarks published Tuesday, warning that the alliance’s militarization and European Union defense buildup risk undermining global stability.

In an interview with Russian daily Kommersant, Shoigu described NATO’s latest summit as “Trump’s summit” and accused European states of yielding to US demands to increase defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035.

He claimed that many EU states were disguising civilian infrastructure projects as military investments.

“Europeans have turned deception into a strategy. They pretend to agree to Trump’s demands while shifting defense budgets toward roads, bridges, and ports,” Shoigu said, citing Italy’s planned Sicily bridge as an example.

He said NATO’s arsenal includes over 50,000 armored vehicles, 7,000 aircraft, and 750 ships, with satellite systems also being used against Russia in Ukraine.

Shoigu accused the EU of planning to fund its military expansion by cutting social services and using frozen Russian assets.

He said Washington had offloaded much of the cost of supporting Ukraine to Europe, citing a planned €800 billion (USD 870 billion) in military spending by 2030 under the bloc’s “Readiness 2030” strategy.

He also said the West was manipulating statistics to present the buildup as moderate, while the real economic burden was leading to “economic ruin and deception” among NATO members.

Shoigu criticized the EU’s plan to use interest earned from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine, calling it theft: “The West has made a habit of stealing others’ money. Libya, Syria, Afghanistan – now Russia.”

Despite the criticisms, Shoigu said Russia remained open to dialogue with Europe and pointed to President Vladimir Putin’s call for a new Eurasian security system.