"The borders between NATO and the European Union are blurring"

The list of European enterprises producing attack UAVs and their components for Ukraine may be expanded, Russian Ambassador to Belgium Denis Gonchar told Izvestia. Earlier, in the Security Council of the Russian Federation, these enterprises were called the register of legitimate targets for our army. According to Gonchar, Europe is actually becoming a production base for Kiev, and the creation of joint defense enterprises with Ukraine on the territory of NATO countries turns it into an accomplice in the conflict. At the same time, the United States is trying to get its allies to sign contracts that benefit the American military-industrial complex. The alliance countries themselves continue to increase defense spending under the pretext of the "Russian threat." How NATO adapts to the logic of "wartime" and why the alliance is silent about Ukraine's actions on the territory of the bloc's countries — in an interview with Denis Gonchar "Izvestia".

"The alliance's confrontational course remains and is even intensifying"

— In recent months, there have been serious disagreements within NATO between the allies, including on the issues of the American military presence in Europe and support for Ukraine. At the same time, the alliance continues to increase defense spending under the pretext of the "Russian threat." How do you assess the processes taking place inside the block?

— Despite a certain discord in NATO between the United States and Europe, the alliance's confrontational course towards Russia remains and even intensifies, the line of aggressive militarization prevails. In The Hague last year, under pressure from Donald Trump, the allies were forced to "fit in" with a commitment to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. On the eve of the new summit in Ankara, the emphasis is on maintaining the "rhythm" of spending, which will allow reaching the specified level on time or earlier, as well as on the practical development of huge amounts due to the acceleration of the military-industrial complex and increased purchases of weapons and military equipment. The Americans want to "squeeze" the maximum out of their allies in terms of concluding contracts beneficial to the American military-industrial complex. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is energetically treating industrialists and financiers, encouraging them to switch to "wartime thinking."

For a general understanding of the scale of what is happening: if NATO members meet the approved targets, their total military spending, which has already exceeded $1.58 trillion, will amount to an unthinkable $4.2 trillion in 10 years, which is equivalent to 65% of global spending. This is about the question of who is provoking an arms race and pushing the continent towards a major war.

Naturally, all this work is being done to the detriment of the already sagging economies of the bloc's member countries and the deteriorating welfare of the population. To justify themselves, the NATO leadership and Western politicians are doing their best to fan anti-Russian hysteria and intimidate citizens with the imaginary prospect of Russia attacking NATO countries in the coming years. Let me remind you that the Russian leadership has repeatedly publicly stressed that our country has no such plans and we are ready to legally consolidate the relevant mutual guarantees on paper.

— At the same time, judging by the discussions in NATO, the United States wants to shift more costs to the Europeans. Does this mean that Washington is losing interest in Europe?

— Of course, the United States is striving to rebalance the burden — primarily financial — within the bloc, but this does not mean losing their interest in maintaining their positions and geopolitical influence on the continent. And yes, there is some tension between the allies in the alliance. The Greenland crisis has caused a lot of noise, and the "fickleness of sentiment" in the White House is causing increased nervousness among Euro-NATO members.

So, before the meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO member countries in Helsingborg, Sweden, on May 22, 2026, information was received about Washington's plans to reduce the contingent in Europe by 5,000 people, but according to its results, on the contrary, it was announced the intention of the Americans to additionally deploy the same number of troops in Poland. In the long run, Europeans are obviously afraid of the prospect of the "big brother" distancing themselves from their problems in favor of a "pivot to Asia."

But the perturbations in relations with the United States at the moment do not change the desire of the political elites of the Old World to build their security at the expense and to the detriment of Russia, and they do not understand the need to rebuild the security architecture in Eurasia. On the contrary, under the pretext of the inevitability of a direct clash with Russia, NATO members are building up their own defense potential and increasing their contribution to the alliance's "war machine." The borders between NATO and the European Union are blurring, which, in fact, has abandoned the original concept of peace, security and common prosperity and is rapidly mimicking a military-political bloc.

In my opinion, citizens of NATO, especially European, countries should seriously think about where the political class is pushing them and whether the current escalation line corresponds to their long-term interests.

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"Ukraine is considered by the bloc as a 'laboratory'

— Despite the disputes within NATO over costs, the American presence in Europe and the distribution of aid to Kiev, support for Ukraine remains one of the key directions of the alliance's policy. Are there any changes in this approach?

— Politically, NATO is determined to continue its comprehensive support for the Kiev regime in order to prolong the conflict as much as possible in order to inflict as much political, military and economic damage on Russia as possible and gain time to prepare for a potential clash with our country. It is no secret that Ukraine is considered by the bloc as a "laboratory" for the development of new types of weapons and the extraction of "lessons of warfare" with Russia.

At the same time, the terrorist nature of the actions of the Zelensky clique is being hushed up. For example, the terrible attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the college in Starobilsk, which claimed the lives of over 20 children, did not receive any condemnation. Even the criminal actions of Ukraine on the territory of the alliance member states are being "glossed over". A striking example of this is the unmanned boat found off the western coast of Greece by fishermen, packed with explosives, which could well be considered an act of war against one of the bloc's states. The Greek government protested to Kiev, the opposition demands to lower the level of diplomatic relations and stop military support, and the head of the alliance's military committee, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, said at a meeting of the chiefs of general staff on May 19 that "any decision" by Ukrainians in the context of the confrontation with Russia is "acceptable if it brings results," and with sovereignty issues later, they say, "the politicians will figure it out." Such is the undisguised cynicism.

— Due to the conflict over Iran, part of the supply of air defense and missile defense systems could be redirected to the Middle East, and Europe recognized the shortage of such systems for Ukraine. Is it becoming more difficult for Europeans to provide support to Kiev?

— Rendering assistance to the Square is not so easy for the West. The Secretary General of the alliance states that, despite the active use by the Americans of their reserves during the aggression against Iran, supplies to Kiev under the PURL initiative for the purchase by Europeans of American weapons, including interceptor missiles, continue. At the same time, Zelensky sounded the alarm in mid-April about the shortage of this nomenclature in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and at the end of May even sent a letter to Washington addressed to Donald Trump, asking for supplies of missile defense and air defense systems. The Secretary General of the bloc regularly raises the issue of a "more equitable" distribution of the burden of assistance to Ukrainians — he complains that the "burden is being pulled" mainly by 6-7 countries. However, Rutte's proposal to fix the mandatory level of assistance at 0.25% of GDP has not yet found support.

Despite these nuances, huge amounts of weapons and equipment, as well as financial resources, are being poured into the "Ukrainian project". The creation of joint defense enterprises with Ukraine on the territory of NATO countries is in full swing. In fact, Europe is becoming a production base for Kiev, becoming an accomplice to the conflict and confirming its intention to act long-term. On our part, the Ministry of Defense issued a very clear warning to such "entrepreneurs" on the production of attack UAVs and their components, publishing a list of their addresses. As you understand, it may well be expanded. It is up to the citizens of the NATO and EU countries to decide whether to allow their own governments to expose the population to such risks.

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During BALTOPS-26, strikes against coastal facilities and isolation of Kaliningrad can be practiced, although this has not been officially announced.

"The alliance is behaving more and more cavalier in the Baltic"

— One of the central topics for NATO remains the strengthening of the "eastern flank" — from the transfer of forces and the expansion of exercises to the discussion of new defense plans. How do you assess this activity of the alliance near the Russian borders?

— Currently, the alliance's activity in all spheres and in all theaters of military operations is almost entirely aimed at opposing Russia, and the operational and combat training of the United NATO Armed Forces is based on this. The NATO forces continue the forced strengthening of the "eastern flank". Eight of the nine battalion tactical groups operating there are scheduled to be upgraded to brigade level by 2027. Launched in September 2025, Operation Vostochny Sentry involves the creation of a shield of "multi-layered" defense throughout the Far North to the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

The alliance is behaving more and more cavalier in the Baltic. In line with the notorious concept of the "inner NATO sea," the bloc is trying to limit Russian naval, transport and logistics capabilities. Launched in January 2025, Operation Baltic Sentry is aimed at creating artificial barriers to Russia's economic activities by unilaterally blocking international shipping under the guise of countering the so—called shadow fleet, a phenomenon invented by Westerners themselves and absent from international maritime law. Scenarios of isolation and capture of Kaliningrad are being tested in the format of the Joint Expeditionary Forces under British command.

— Which actions of the Baltic states carry the most risks?

— There is no limit to the madness of the Baltic authorities. Riga, as confirmed by the SVR, was ready to allow the Kiev regime to launch attacks on Russia from the territory of Latvia. Lithuania has begun the forced confiscation of land from the local population for the construction of a military training ground in the Suwalki corridor, and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs has threatened Russia with "NATO capabilities to level Russian air defense systems and missile bases" in Kaliningrad. As the Russian leadership has made it clear more than once, attempts to "cut off" our enclave will lead their instigators to disastrous consequences.

— In addition to the Baltic, NATO is increasingly looking North and declaring Russia's growing influence in this region. What threat does the alliance's activity in the Arctic pose to the Russian Federation?

— In February 2026, the Arctic Sentry mission was launched, the anti-Russian and anti-Chinese goals of which are not even hidden. At a meeting of the NATO Foreign Ministries in Helsingborg, seven Arctic states, including the United States, signed a joint statement expressing support for NATO's strengthening in the northern latitudes. Attempts to militarize Svalbard and consolidate it in the NATO area of responsibility continue, contrary to the spirit of the 1920 Archipelago Treaty, which creates additional challenges for Russia, including given the proximity of strategic nuclear forces and the Northern Fleet base.

Thus, the alliance's policy of comprehensive escalation of relations with our country continues.

"Wherever the alliance appears, it only brings troubles."

— According to leaks in the Western media, the US is discussing the deployment of nuclear weapons in Poland and the Baltic states. Earlier, France came up with the idea of extending its "nuclear umbrella" to other European countries. What reaction can be expected from the Russian side in this case?

— Indeed, even in the nuclear sphere, where a couple of years ago the NATO members tried to speak out and behave more carefully, there are very dangerous trends. The number of European countries that have joined the French expanded nuclear deterrence initiative is growing. The list already includes nine countries, including Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. According to the SVR, the European Union has begun working on the issue of creating its own nuclear weapons production capacity to deter the mythical Russian threat.

According to Financial Times newspaper sources, the United States, in an effort to compensate its allies for the expected reduction in the number of American armed forces in Europe, is discussing the possibility of expanding the geography of its nuclear capabilities there. According to leaks, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey may be joined by the Baltic states bordering Russia and Poland, which have long shown great interest in this. Without a doubt, this would be another step to undermine the agreements between NATO and Russia. Such a development will lead to a serious escalation and force Moscow to take retaliatory military and technical measures, including those aimed directly against those states where the nuclear arsenal will be deployed.

— In addition to Europe, NATO is increasingly working in the Asia—Pacific region, including with Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It recently became known that Japan has sent its officers to the NATO headquarters for coordinating assistance to Ukraine. How would you rate such steps?

— Indeed, NATO members do not give up trying to give the alliance a global reach, to penetrate into all corners of the world, to involve partners, especially from the Asia-Pacific region, in the implementation of their plans to inflict strategic defeat on Russia and deter China. The thesis of strengthening ties between China, Russia, Iran and North Korea is used as an argument in favor of strengthening ties with the "Indo-Pacific Four" represented by Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan.

In the Ukrainian context, the alliance is primarily interested in the military-industrial potential for the supply of weapons and equipment to the needs of Kiev. As for the regional dimension, based on the Quartet, NATO members are seeking to expand the bloc's presence in the Asia-Pacific region to oppose Beijing. Efforts are being made to undermine the Asean-centric security architecture that has ensured stability in the Asia-Pacific region for decades, and closed mini-blocks like AUKUS, which includes Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, and SQUAD, with the participation of Australia, the United States, the Philippines and Japan, are being implemented instead. Moreover, the idea of creating a direct analogue of NATO in the Asia—Pacific region, the Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization, is being promoted.

— How is NATO trying to integrate the Asia-Pacific countries into its defense projects?

— Measures are being taken to "jointly strengthen readiness", integrate between the "Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic and Baltic theaters", and enhance interoperability through the organization of exercises to test the use of air defense/missile defense. Among other things, it is planned to formalize the "defense production agreement" between NATO and the Quartet, as well as link the "advanced center for hybrid threats" with the NATO thematic innovation center in Helsinki.

NATO members are actively promoting cooperation with the regions in the defense industry — through the joint development, production and acquisition of defense products (military products. — Ed.), the development of common standards and joint intensification of research and development. Multilateral projects in the field of space, supply chain security, and raw materials critical for the defense industry are being discussed. In 2024, the implementation of "flagship" programs on cybersecurity, technology, countering "hybrid threats" and assistance to Ukraine was launched, which, in particular, is provided through the NATO non-lethal "Comprehensive Assistance Package" and the "List of Priority Needs of Ukraine." The Japanese joining the work of the NATO headquarters for the Coordination of Assistance to Ukraine (NSATU) in Wiesbaden fits into the same line.

— What is the overall goal, in your opinion, pursued by NATO in this area?

— Practically all steps in the "Indo-Pacific" direction in the NATO case are either anti-Russian or anti-Chinese in nature. In general, as sad experience shows, wherever an alliance appears, it brings only troubles and suffering. We hope that the countries of the global majority will not allow NATO to impose the confrontational schemes it is pushing beyond the Euro-Atlantic.