Lavrov Says Europe’s War Rhetoric Risks Driving Further Military Buildup

Lavrov Warns Europe’s War Rhetoric Could Fuel Arms Buildup

23:23 27-09-2026

Sergey Lavrov says European warnings about war with Russia could become a self-fulfilling prophecy as the continent expands military capabilities.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly that European rhetoric about a possible war with Russia is driving the continent toward further military buildup.

According to Lavrov, repeated warnings about a future conflict could eventually turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. He argued that as Europe accumulates more military capabilities, someone within its political establishment could eventually decide to put those resources to use.

Lavrov said European countries are already preparing for a possible confrontation with Russia, pointing to repeated calls for the continent to be ready for war by 2030.

The Russian foreign minister also said Moscow remains prepared to return to the agreements reached by Russia and the United States in Anchorage in August 2025.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said Moscow is not preparing for war with Europe and sees no grounds or motives for such a conflict. In his assessment, European governments are deliberately escalating tensions in order to maintain support for Ukraine.

In June, German Army Chief Christian Freuding said Germany needed to be prepared for a possible war with Russia by 2029 or even earlier. According to him, that timeframe is based on NATO intelligence assessments.