The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, during a press conference after discussions with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, at the reception house of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow, May 27.
The NATO decision to increase the defense expenses will not significantly affect Russia's security, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, Reuters reports.
NATO allies committed to increase the defense expenses with hundreds of billions of dollars a year, to 5% of GDP, to thank Donald Trump, but also to respond to European concerns about the threat of Russia.
“Regarding the impact of this 5% goal on our security, I do not think it will be significant,” Lavrov told a press conference.
“We know what objectives we are pursuing, we do not hide them, we announce them openly, they are absolutely legal from the point of view of any interpretation of the principles of the UN and international law and we know by what means we will always ensure these objectives,” said Lavrov.
NATO approved an ambitious objective on increasing defense expenses, 5% of GDP by 2035, in response to Trump's pressures, but also to Europeans that Russia is an increasing threat to their security after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
