Moscow (Agencies): Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has accused NATO of gearing up for a direct military clash with Russia, citing the alliance’s rearmament efforts, increased military budgets, and command structure reforms. Speaking at the Forum of the Future 2050, Grushko stated that NATO’s recent drills and military buildup are explicitly designed for confrontation with Moscow.
The warning comes after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte urged member states to raise military spending to 5% of GDP, suggesting that failure to do so would mean they should “learn to speak Russian.” Russia has long criticized NATO’s expansion near its borders, viewing it as provocation rather than containment.
Grushko emphasized that NATO’s aggressive military planning is now a defining factor in Russia’s military-political relations with alliance members. The Russian Foreign Ministry has reiterated its willingness to engage in dialogue, but only on equal terms, urging Western nations to abandon their militarization policies.