Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on March 7, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
The Kremlin warns it may respond to EU's defense plans, viewing them as a threat. EU leaders support increased defense spending, positioning Russia as an adversary.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia may need to act to respond to what it called European Union plans to militarise the bloc that cast Russia as its main adversary.
European leaders on Thursday backed plans to spend more on defence and continue to stand by Ukraine in a world upended by Donald Trump's reversal of U.S. policies.
"We see that the European Union is now actively discussing the militarisation of the EU and the development of the defence segment. This is a process that we are watching closely, because the EU is positioning Russia as its main adversary," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"This, of course, could potentially be a topic of deep concern for us and there could be a need to take appropriate measures in response to ensure our security.
"And, of course, such confrontational rhetoric and confrontational thinking that we are now seeing in Brussels and in European capitals is, seriously at odds with the mood for finding a peaceful settlement around Ukraine."
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Anastasia Teterevleva; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
The Kremlin stated that Russia may need to act in response to the European Union's plans to militarise the bloc, which it views as a threat.
European leaders have backed plans to increase defense spending and continue supporting Ukraine amid changing global dynamics.
Russia is closely monitoring the EU's discussions on militarisation, as it sees this as a potential threat to its security.
The Kremlin believes that the confrontational rhetoric coming from Brussels and other European capitals contradicts the desire for a peaceful settlement.
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