European countries are launching an open campaign to prepare for war with Russia, with Western political and military officials wanting to be ready for a clash by 2030. This was stated by the Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei Shoigu in an interview with TASS.
"An open campaign is unfolding in Europe to prepare for a military conflict with the Russian Federation. The possible terms for such a clash are from three to five years," he said. „European politicians and military want to be ready to fight us by 2030 d.".
NATO is increasing its contingent on the western borders of Russia and developing its military infrastructure, forming a “strike force“.
“Over the past year, the presence of military contingents of NATO countries deployed near the western borders of the Russian Federation has increased almost 2.5 times. The systematic development of military infrastructure on the territory of Eastern European countries, the deployment of strategic missile defense systems and measures aimed at maintaining high combat readiness of the tactical nuclear potential in Europe continue,“ he said.
Shoigu noted that NATO is moving to a new combat readiness system, which provides for the possibility of deploying a group of 100,000 soldiers near the borders of Russia within 10 days, a group of 300,000 soldiers for a maximum of 30 days and a group of 800,000 soldiers for a period of up to 180 days.
“These tasks were openly worked out during the exercises in 2023-2024. The Baltic countries use Western money to build defense lines and military bases for NATO military formations on their territory. In addition to American Abrams tanks, Poland is actively purchasing South Korean armored vehicles. By the end of 2026, it is planned to receive 180 K2 Black Panther tanks. In addition, they are buying over 200 South Korean K9 self-propelled artillery mounts, as well as K239 MLRS. It is not difficult to understand against whom this “striking fist“ is being formed, the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation emphasized.
According to him, NATO countries are also actively modernizing their air defense systems. “Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands are updating their combat aircraft, purchasing American F-35 aircraft, while Romania and Bulgaria are purchasing F-16 tactical fighters. At the same time, an airfield network is being prepared on the “eastern flank“ to receive NATO aircraft“, Shoigu said.
Shoigu noted that despite the attempts of the Kiev authorities to continue hostilities and at the same time “sell the natural resources of Ukraine, its territory, the future of the Ukrainian people“ to Europe at a higher price in exchange for financing and arms supplies, the country's military, economic and mobilization potential has been significantly weakened.
“Its economy is in a state of deep crisis and depends on Western aid, the national debt is growing, - by the end of 2024 it had grown to $167 billion“, the secretary of the Russian Security Council noted. “At the same time, the countries that support them, despite their loud statements, cannot satisfy all of Kiev's demands in the military sphere”.
"Paradoxically, the more economically dependent a country is on Brussels, the more aggressive its rhetoric. This can be explained simply: the politicians of these countries are afraid of being left without financial injections and, with their rabid Russophobia, earn subsidies from NATO and pan-European budgets. Otherwise, they will have to focus on internal economic and social problems that they are unable to solve, "he explained.
Shoigu stressed that the total military spending of NATO countries is more than 14 times higher than the Russian military budget.
"The US administration of Donald Trump has asked European allies to increase their military budgets to 5% of GDP, which has caused a mixed reaction in the alliance countries. Trump's proposal was supported by Poland and the Baltic states. Warsaw plans to increase defense spending in 2025 to 4.7% of GDP. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said that from 2026 and at least until 2030, Vilnius plans to spend 5-6% of GDP on defense. Tallinn also intends to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, in other words, dependent countries living on EU subsidies are ready to spend these funds not on social programs, but on defense against the imaginary "threat from the East".
He stressed that the leadership of NATO and the EU have spoken of their readiness to confront Russia regardless of the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine. “NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, after the meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers on April 4, 2025, said that the alliance would continue to supply weapons and provide intelligence to Ukraine. According to him, Russia will remain a threat to NATO even after the Ukrainian conflict is over.
The leadership of the European Union, Shoigu stressed, is striving to turn the organization into a military bloc oriented against Russia. “In order to rearm Europe, a program for the development of the European defense industry worth 800 billion euros was announced. We are registering attempts by the Europeans to create their own missile defense system. The possibility of deploying 120 fighter jets to Ukraine, operating independently of NATO under European command, is being considered,“ he concluded.
Ukraine has not respected "not even one hour" of the Easter truce announced by Russia, violating it 4,900 times in 30 hours, the secretary of the Russian Security Council said.
The first steps taken by the United States towards easing relations with Russia are noteworthy, Shoigu continued.
Commenting on reports that US President Donald Trump may withdraw over 20,000 troops from Europe, the secretary of the Russian Security Council noted: “For now, this is just a statement of intent. There are no concrete practical steps from the US in this direction“.
Shoigu recalled that “in 2024, under the pretext of conducting maneuvers of the combined forces of NATO, in addition to the American contingent already permanently stationed in Europe“, an additional group was deployed. As a result, the number of American troops amounted to almost 100 thousand people.
“After the end of the maneuvers, a certain part of these forces remained in Europe on a rotational basis. The withdrawal of 20,000 American soldiers will only bring their number closer to the level of 2020-2022. But Washington's initiative itself, as a first step towards detente, certainly deserves attention“, he added.
The threats to Belarus requiring the deployment of “Oreshnik“ on its territory, continue to exist, said the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
“Russia agreed to deploy the “Oreshnik“ systems in Belarus at the direct request of the Belarusian side and taking into account the threats to the security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of our closest ally. For now, these threats remain relevant“, he said, answering a question about whether Russia could refuse to deploy “Oreshnik“ in Belarus if the United States refuses to deploy its medium- and shorter-range missiles in Germany.
According to Shoigu, European countries are increasing their military presence near the western borders of the allied state and are not showing any readiness to de-escalate the situation. "Rather the opposite: belligerent statements have become more frequent, military spending is increasing, the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons in the immediate vicinity of the borders of the union state is being discussed, and there is no hiding the desire to achieve a change of power in Belarus, including by force," he added.
Moscow and Minsk concluded an interstate agreement last fall to ensure security within the union state. Putin noted that the "Oreshnik" complex could be deployed in Belarus in the second half of 2025.
Shoigu did not rule out the possibility that Russia would resume nuclear tests in response to similar actions by the United States.
“Our position on this issue is directly influenced by the actions of the United States in this area“, Shoigu noted, “Currently, the warranty periods for some types of nuclear weapons are expiring, and the development of new types of weapons is in full swing. And this may push Washington to resume nuclear tests“, said the secretary of the Russian Security Council.
“In this case, Russia may follow their example as a response“, Shoigu said. He assured that "the Russian Ministry of Defense and Rosatom are ready to carry out such work".
Shoigu emphasized that "in recent years, the Russian Federation has developed and adopted a whole range of modern types of weapons, including strategic ones that have no analogues in the world".
"The military potential of our country has grown significantly. In these conditions, there is no urgent need to conduct nuclear tests," Shoigu emphasized.
The last explosion of a Soviet nuclear charge with a capacity of 70 kilotons was carried out on October 24, 1990 on Novaya Zemlya, after which the USSR declared a unilateral moratorium on nuclear weapons tests. Russia also insists on this. In total, the Soviet Union conducted 715 nuclear tests between 1949 and 1990.
The West, in the context of the failed plans with Ukraine, will try to provoke destabilization in Russia, Moldova and the Caucasus, Shoigu believes.
“Unfriendly countries understand that they have not managed to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, undermine its international authority, destroy the economy or weaken internal political stability“, he said. This unexpected development of events for the West, according to Shoigu, “forces it to look for new ways to maintain its dominance“.
“Victory over Russia, if not on the battlefield, then diplomatically – preserving Ukraine as “anti-Russia”, the main antipode of our country – remains the most important priority for Western elites”, he continued. “At the same time, significant efforts are being made to provoke internal instability in the Russian Federation, in neighboring countries, primarily in Transcaucasia and Moldova, to prepare “color revolutions“ in the countries of the Global South that are striving for true independence – in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America.
All this, according to the Secretary of the Security Council, is accompanied by a change in the nature of threats to the national security of the Russian Federation, the formation of new challenges and risks for the country. He emphasized that “Russia is successfully resisting the growing political, military, economic and informational pressure exerted on it“.
“The inability of the collective West to achieve its goals is accompanied by an aggravation of contradictions between its members, their internal socio-economic problems and ideological differences, as well as a split in the ruling elites“, he continued. “At the same time, countries that have not joined the anti-Russian sanctions are increasingly convinced of the incompetence of those who until recently tried to force the whole world to live by their own rules.