Russia Criticizes NATO’s Militarization and Defense Spending Increase

The Kremlin strongly criticized today (June 24, 2025) the defense spending increase sought by NATO, referring to its ‘unyielding militarization.’ According to Dmitry Peskov, a representative of the Kremlin, NATO is determined to portray Russia as the devil incarnate to justify the significant rise in defense expenditures by member nations. The leaders of NATO’s 32 member countries, meeting at a two-day summit in The Hague on June 24-25, 2025, warned that Russia could attack a NATO member state in the coming years if it does not halt its advance in Ukraine. Moscow denies any plans to attack a NATO country. Peskov characterized NATO as an alliance formed for opposition, stating it is not an organization of peace and stability. He highlighted that NATO aims to convince members to spend 5% of their GDP on defense, as requested by U.S. President Donald Trump. ‘The alliance is steadily moving towards relentless militarization,’ Peskov emphasized, adding that creating a demonic threat is necessary to achieve the 5% goal. ‘To do this, you need to create the image of a devilish monster, and according to these NATO officials, our country fits perfectly into the role of the monster,’ he concluded. In a separate statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused NATO of expanding beyond its traditional area, aiming to establish a presence in the Middle East, southern Caucasus, Central Asia, the Arctic, and the Asia-Pacific region.