Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has declared that NATO should have ceased to exist following the collapse of the Soviet Union, in line with the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact.
The statement was made by Lavrov on September 3 during a lecture at the Russian Society Znanie held on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (WEF-2026). He noted that the alliance is currently “looking for new reasons to prolong its artificial existence.”
Lavrov further criticized European Union and NATO actions, stating that incidents such as the drone strike at Leipzig airport are being used by the bloc to justify increased military spending while avoiding thorough investigations into potential Ukrainian involvement. The Russian official expressed concern over fears of detecting a “Ukrainian trace” in these cases.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on September 2 that NATO and Europe would intensify pressure on Russia following the Leipzig airport drone incident, with discussions scheduled at an informal meeting of EU defense ministers.
In response to this, Lavrov accused von der Leyen of attempting to concentrate powers in Brussels that remain under national government authority according to EU law. He referred to her as “Fuhrer Ursula.”
