Lavrov states ‘catastrophic’ budget surge will put end to NATO

(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that NATO's recent decision to significantly increase military spending could have disastrous consequences for the alliance. Speaking Monday at a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Kyrgyzstan, Lavrov said the decision to raise military budgets to 5% of GDP could be “catastrophic” and might ultimately lead to NATO's downfall.

His remarks were a direct response to Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who recently argued that rising Russian defense spending could cause the collapse of the Russian government, similar to what happened with the Soviet Union. Sikorski cited President Vladimir Putin's past statement acknowledging that excessive military spending contributed to the USSR’s fall and accused the Russian leader of repeating the same mistakes.

Lavrov pushed back, suggesting Sikorski’s prediction may be ironic foreshadowing: “Perhaps he foresees — being such a prophet — that this catastrophic, in my view, increase in NATO countries’ budgets will also lead to the organization’s collapse.”

Lavrov also stated that Russia intends to reduce its own military expenditures, which currently account for 6.3% of its GDP, and said Moscow would instead focus on “common sense” rather than perceived threats promoted by NATO states.

NATO’s 5% spending target, agreed at the bloc’s recent summit in The Hague, has drawn criticism from within the alliance. Leaders such as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have rejected the benchmark, calling it unrealistic and counterproductive given current economic constraints.

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