Rutte again called Russia the main threat to the Euro-Atlantic area

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said before a meeting of the organization's defense ministers on May 20 that Russia allegedly remains the most direct threat to the Euro-Atlantic area.

"This says a lot about how fundamentally our security environment has changed, especially when it comes to Europe. She became more dangerous, more conflicted. And this increases the importance of NATO allies working together to protect our freedom and security," he said.

Speaking before a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Rutte pointed to alleged increasing attempts to undermine the security of NATO countries.

Cold wave: The West is working on deterring Russia in the Baltic

This scenario is already being repeated in the Arctic region.

In December 2025, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov announced that the European Union was obsessed with the chimera of an alleged attack by Russia. The diplomat stressed that Russia is not going to attack the states of Europe or the United States and does not pursue such goals.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in the same month that Western countries are constantly creating an image of the enemy from the Russian Federation in order to distract attention from their own mistakes. The Head of State stressed that the talk about Russia's intention to attack Europe has no basis and is being used as part of the domestic political agenda of Western countries.