Kremlin condemns NATO warnings as rhetoric over Ukraine intensifies

Monday 15 December 2025 - 10:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Kremlin condemns NATO warnings as rhetoric over Ukraine intensifies

The Kremlin has sharply criticized recent warnings by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who urged alliance members to prepare for a potential large-scale confrontation with Russia. Moscow dismissed the remarks as reckless and symptomatic of leaders who, it said, have forgotten the devastation of the Second World War.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Rutte of “irresponsible statements” and a lack of understanding about the true cost of global conflict. “This sounds like the words of a generation that has completely forgotten what World War Two meant for humanity,” Peskov told Russian media.

Rutte had delivered a forceful address in Berlin on December 11, urging allies to raise military readiness and defense spending. He warned that Europe must be prepared for a conflict of historic proportions and that Russia could threaten NATO within the next five years. The NATO chief also pointed to escalating cyberattacks, airspace intrusions, and acts of sabotage targeting member states.

Moscow rejected those concerns as unfounded. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated earlier this week that Russia had “no aggressive intentions” toward NATO and was prepared to issue written assurances. President Vladimir Putin added that Russia sought no war with Europe but cautioned that any Western-initiated clash “would end very swiftly.”

European leaders, however, argue that a Russian victory in Ukraine would embolden Moscow and destabilize the continent. The disagreement underscores the deep divisions surrounding the war in Ukraine, as each side continues to accuse the other of provoking a broader conflict.