Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused NATO of disregarding Russia’s repeated warnings about alliance expansion, saying Moscow was “told where to go” when it raised objections.
Speaking after this week’s NATO summit, Putin said Russia had consistently emphasized that no country’s security should come at the expense of another’s. “Yet, in practice, one NATO expansion after another,” he said. “No one bothered to listen.”
I had a meeting with the leaders of the E5 group of countries – Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Poland – as well as the NATO Secretary General.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 25, 2025
Strengthening Ukraine’s air shield is crucial, and today we primarily discussed air defense systems and interceptors… pic.twitter.com/S6wJDx9ThP
Putin insisted that Russia alone would determine its security needs and identify threats on its borders. “We know better what threatens us,” he said.
His comments came as NATO’s 32 member states agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, up from the current 2%, in what they call a necessary move to deter Moscow.
Western officials warn Russia is rebuilding military strength and could be capable of attacking a NATO country within five years, amid rising cyberattacks and sabotage in Europe.
