Increased NATO defence spending may lead to collapse of alliance, says Russian foreign minister

Sergei Lavrov said NATO 'needs to be guided by common sense' & that increased spending could be catastrophic for the alliance, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a joint press conference with Laos's Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane following their meeting in Moscow, Russia on 26 June 2025. | File Photo | Alexander Zemlianichenko | Pool via Reuters

Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that a decision by NATO members to increase defence spending was catastrophic for the alliance and could ultimately lead to its collapse, state news agency TASS reported on Monday.

NATO “needs to be guided by common sense”, Lavrov said.

NATO allies agreed to raise their collective spending goal to 5% of gross domestic product over the next decade.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Gleb Stolyarov; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

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