Medvedev Warns EU Could Become 'Worse Than NATO' For Russia

(MENAFN- Khaama Press) ** Dmitry Medvedev says the European Union risks becoming a hostile military bloc against Russia, warning Moscow should rethink its approach.**

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, has warned that the European Union could evolve into a hostile military alliance against Moscow and become“even worse than NATO,” as tensions between Russia and Europe remain high over Ukraine and regional security.

Reuters reported that Medvedev said Russia should abandon its“tolerant attitude” toward countries seeking closer integration with the EU, arguing the bloc is no longer just an economic union. Dmitry Medvedev European Union NATO Russia Ukraine

Medvedev said some politicians in Brussels are actively considering building a fuller military structure within the EU, and he claimed the bloc could quickly turn into a“military-economic alliance” aimed directly at Russia. His remarks reflect a broader Kremlin narrative that Europe’s growing defence coordination is increasingly hostile to Moscow.

His comments come at a time when European governments are stepping up defence spending, arms production and strategic coordination, driven by concerns over Russian aggression and uncertainty about long-term U.S. commitments to European security. European leaders have in recent months repeatedly argued that the continent must strengthen its own defence capacity, even while continuing to rely on NATO as the core of collective security.

Medvedev also signalled that Moscow should reconsider how it responds to neighbouring states moving toward EU membership, suggesting the Kremlin may no longer treat EU expansion as politically separate from Western military influence. That marks a harder line from Russian officials, who have long portrayed both NATO and EU enlargement as strategic encroachment.

The EU has in recent years expanded its role in defence through joint procurement, military mobility planning, arms financing and security cooperation, especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While the bloc is not a military alliance like NATO, officials across Europe have increasingly pushed for stronger“strategic autonomy” and a more coordinated defence posture.

Russia has repeatedly framed Western institutions as part of a single pressure system against Moscow, arguing that both NATO and the EU are being used to weaken Russian influence in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet space. That argument has become central to Moscow’s messaging as the war in Ukraine and wider confrontation with the West continue.

Medvedev’s remarks underline how the Kremlin is now portraying not only NATO, but also the European Union, as a growing long-term security threat.

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