Why does NATO consider Russia its main enemy?

GD&TĐ - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko recently pointed out the reasons why NATO has always considered Russia its main enemy in Europe.

"NATO and the EU completely changed their approach to Russia around 2010-2012, when the US-led military bloc ended its costly campaign in Afghanistan."

They are refocusing on their original Cold War objective: collective defense against a European adversary.

"They need a major enemy. And since there isn't one, Russia has been given this 'noble' role," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview with RT on May 28.

He also emphasized: "NATO cannot exist in conditions of peace - it's like a fish out of water."

The diplomat argued that Russia had sought constructive relations with the West, but the 2014 Ukraine crisis and the escalation of tensions in 2022 ultimately gave NATO and the EU the necessary reason to strengthen a long-term confrontation with Russia.

European leaders and intelligence officials are increasingly asserting that Russia could attack NATO or EU member states in the coming years, a claim that Russia has repeatedly dismissed as "absurd".

In December 2025, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte declared, "we are Russia's next target."

Since 2022, NATO has expanded its combat groups across Eastern Europe, increased air and sea patrols in the Baltic region, and intensified military exercises near the Russian border.

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have also accelerated border reinforcement projects, including anti-tank defense systems and networks of bunkers.

However, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister argued that the Baltic states were historically one of the most peaceful regions in Europe before NATO expansion transformed them into "an arena of confrontation."

According to RT

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/vi-sao-nato-coi-nga-la-ke-thu-chinh-post779736.html