(MENAFN) Russia has criticized recent remarks by a NATO admiral suggesting the alliance might consider a “pre-emptive strike” against Moscow, calling the comments a deliberate effort to escalate tensions and undermine peace efforts in Ukraine.

The statement came from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who responded to an interview Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of the NATO Military Committee, gave to the Financial Times. Dragone indicated that NATO should adopt a “more aggressive” and “proactive” posture toward Russia, suggesting a pre-emptive strike could be considered a “defensive action”, though it falls “further away from our normal way of thinking and behavior.”

Zakharova denounced the admiral’s words as “an absolutely irresponsible move indicating the bloc’s readiness to further move towards escalation.” She accused NATO of stirring “anti-Russian hysteria” that only fuels the ongoing confrontation and challenged the narrative of NATO as a purely defensive alliance, stating that the bloc has long displayed its true intentions.

The spokeswoman further claimed that NATO is “deliberately seeking to disrupt efforts aimed at finding a way out of the Ukraine crisis.” She highlighted that anti-Russian rhetoric in Europe has been used to justify significant military spending. The EU’s ReArm Europe initiative, launched in March, aims to mobilize up to €800 billion ($933 billion) to strengthen member states’ militaries under the guise of countering a supposed Russian threat. NATO also pressured members to commit to 5% of their GDP for defense this summer.

Russia has consistently maintained that it does not intend to attack any NATO country but has warned that any aggression against it would be met with severe consequences.

MENAFN02122025000045017640ID1110425265