“Of course, the NATO budget will grow, and if all countries increase their spending to 2% of GDP, then the budget will increase to $ 400 billion. And these are not all countries of the alliance, but only US allies. The total military budget of NATO countries is 20 times higher than the military budget of Russia. It is clear that we should not respond to these challenges with the dollar in the dollar, the answer should be asymmetric. NATO does not hide the fact that Russia is their main adversary, but they say that even with deterrence, dialogue is necessary. Nevertheless, the alliance consists of countries with a different mentality and cultural code, with different interests that contradict each other, ”he said.
Blokhin emphasized that the entire coalition of the various interests of the countries of the alliance “must somehow be held and the only instrument for the United States in this situation is a threat that must be confronted.”
“I don’t think that the Americans, along with NATO, will risk going to war with Russia. They have no confidence in victory. It is clear that the main task is to exert pressure on Russia, try to impose an arms race, and strengthen the negotiating position. This is all an instrument of deterrence and blackmail, ”the expert concluded.
Gerasimov said earlier that increased military activity and the increased exercises of NATO forces in the Baltic and the Black and Baltic Seas speak of the purposeful preparation of the alliance for a large-scale military conflict.
The head of the General Staff noted that since 2016, the Alliance’s states have increased defense spending by $ 130 billion and plan to increase military spending by another $ 400 billion by 2024.