(MENAFN) Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has criticized NATO for driving a global arms buildup through its push for massive increases in defense spending. Speaking at the opening of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, Lula argued that the alliance’s recent proposal to raise its military spending target from 2% to 5% of GDP is worsening international tensions.

“The world is witnessing the highest number of armed conflicts since World War II,” Lula said. “NATO’s latest move is intensifying the arms race. It’s now easier to fund wars than to invest in peace.” He contrasted the proposed defense spending with unfulfilled Western pledges to allocate 0.7% of GDP to aid developing nations.

Although the 5% target has not yet been officially adopted, it has received support from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, as well as member states like the U.S. and Poland. Western leaders have cited an alleged growing threat from Russia as justification for the increase.

Russia, however, continues to reject these claims. In a recent interview, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that NATO’s expansion—especially its moves to bring Ukraine closer—poses a direct threat to Russian security and prompted Moscow’s military action in 2022.

Lavrov further accused NATO of becoming an offensive military bloc, citing its past operations in Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Libya. He argued that NATO’s rhetoric around the “Russia threat” is a distraction from internal issues like inflation and migration. He also warned that the alliance's push for greater militarization could backfire, potentially leading to NATO’s downfall.

Lavrov added that Russia plans to reduce its own defense spending in the coming years, guided by “common sense” rather than what he called the fabricated dangers cited by NATO members.

MENAFN08072025000045015687ID1109772070