The North Atlantic Alliance’s decision is actually a threat to European taxpayers, he pointed out.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov downplayed the significance of NATO’s agreement to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 for his country’s security.

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“As for the impact of this 5% target on our security, I don’t think it will be even significant. Increasing NATO’s defense spending will not have a significant impact on Russia’s security, and Moscow knows how to ensure its security,” Lavrov said, noting that Russia has a clear understanding of its legitimate objectives in Ukraine and the means needed to achieve them.

The North Atlantic Alliance’s decision is, in reality, “a threat to taxpayers in the European Union and the United Kingdom,” he pointed out.

“Over the past three years, they have simply been robbed. Instead of using tax revenues to address pressing socioeconomic issues, the money is being spent to fund a senseless war in Ukraine,” Lavrov stated, and emphasized that while Europeans previously sought Russia’s strategic defeat, they are now pushing for an “urgent ceasefire” in Ukraine while continuing to supply weapons to Kiev.

At Wednesday’s summit in The Hague, NATO leaders agreed to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP. Of that figure, 3.5% would go toward direct military expenditures, while 1.5% would cover related costs.

The new target responds to “profound security threats and challenges, particularly the long-term threat Russia poses to Euro-Atlantic security and the persistent threat of terrorism,” NATO said.

Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused NATO of provoking a global arms race while announcing the strengthening of Russia’s nuclear triad.

“We know that at the NATO summit, plans are being made to announce a large-scale program to further increase the alliance’s potential. To achieve this, member countries will boost their military budgets,” he told a gathering of graduates from military schools and academies.

“The bloc’s members now spend more on military purposes than all other countries in the world combined. This makes it abundantly clear who is actually driving global militarization and an arms race,” Putin added, dismissing NATO’s justifications for its militaristic plans as “scare stories.”

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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