Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the decision of NATO member states to increase defense spending is catastrophic for the alliance and could ultimately lead to its collapse, Reuters reported.
NATO “must be guided by common sense“, Lavrov said, quoted by TASS.
NATO allies have agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP per year over the next decade.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized as "aggressive" the agreement of NATO member states to increase their defense spending to five percent of GDP.
The Russian president also noted the beginning of a stabilization of relations between Russia and the United States, attributing the improvement to the efforts of US President Donald Trump, Reuters reported.
Putin reiterated that he has "great respect" for Trump and is ready to meet with him. Although such a meeting would require careful preparation, Putin said it was "completely possible".