Moscow strategic outlook shifts as EU militarization increases
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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko says the European Union’s militarization is fundamentally changing Russia’s stance, warning that an EU NATO-like alliance would be viewed as a direct threat.
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Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko looks on during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Moscow, Russia, on August 31, 2023. (AP)
The militarization of the European Union is fundamentally altering Russia’s view of the bloc, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said during an interview with Rossiya 24 on Wednesday.
"We see that the militarization of the European Union is taking place. This qualitatively changes our attitude towards him, and this, of course, is taken into account in our military construction," Grushko said during the interview.
Grushko noted that should the EU establish a defense structure similar to NATO, Russia would perceive it as a direct military threat, stressing that "If the EU creates an organization like NATO, we will have to deal with a new military structure that directly poses a threat to us."
Although he doubts the likelihood of an independent NATO-style alliance forming within the EU, he argued that the bloc is shifting from a peaceful union to a militarized structure, adding that "I doubt very much that an independent NATO can appear. The truth is that the EU is turning from such a peaceful project into something resembling a very aggressive military bloc."
This transformation is evident not only in military investments and defense capabilities but also in the EU's ideological orientation, according to Grushko, emphasizing that Russia is closely monitoring these changes and factoring them into its military planning.
EU pushing for military readiness
Meanwhile, defense ministers from 11 European Union nations have jointly appealed to the European Commission to eliminate existing legal frameworks that, they argue, are hindering the operational capabilities of their armed forces.
The initiative, led by Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans, was outlined in a letter addressed to the EU Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius, according to a report by the Financial Times in June.
Het werk op Defensie gaat gewoon door.
— Ruben Brekelmans (@DefensieMin) June 4, 2025
Ik ontvang Eurocommissaris Kubilius om te spreken over het opschalen van de Defensie-industrie, het verminderen van regeldruk en de steun aan Oekraïne.
We blijven ons in Europa nog steeds even proactief inzetten voor onze veiligheid. pic.twitter.com/MgXm3M3461
The ministers expressed concern that current EU legislation is actively obstructing military preparedness across the bloc.
"Some EU legislation forms a direct obstacle to the armed forces in fulfilling their tasks… EU legislation may not prevent Member States' armed forces from carrying out necessary activities to become operationally ready. But right now, it does," the letter stated.
Signatories of the appeal include the defense ministers of the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Romania, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, reflecting broad regional concern over the issue, particularly among countries bordering or near Russia.
Read more: NATO's defense spending surge may cause its collapse: Lavrov
