Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has sharply criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, predicting long-term disintegration of the North Atlantic Alliance.
In his statement, Lavrov condemned NATO’s attempts to justify its continued existence through regional expansions in Southeast and Northeast Asia under the pretext of containing China as unsustainable. “I don’t think the North Atlantic Alliance will last much longer,” he said.
Lavrov expressed shock at Merz’s intention to position Germany as Europe’s leading military power, noting such ambitions evoke historical associations with ideologies of national and racial superiority. “If this person does not understand what the word ‘again’ means in this context, it is, of course, very sad for Europe and extremely dangerous,” he added.
The Russian minister also accused Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, of attempting to concentrate powers in Brussels at the expense of national governments. Furthermore, Lavrov criticized Merz’s proposed cuts to EU budget allocations for 2028-2035 that would reduce funding for agriculture and regional development—areas accounting for more than half of the EU budget—while increasing military spending.
