NATO Boosts Military Budget to Rp9,300 Trillion, Putin Accuses West of Preparing for War with Russia

President Vladimir Putin has accused Western countries of no longer concealing their preparations for war against Russia, as NATO member states significantly increase their defence budgets and accelerate military modernisation amid the protracted war in Ukraine. “Now they are openly saying that they are preparing for war with us, increasing offensive military budgets,” Putin said during a speech at the Kremlin before graduates of military, security, and law enforcement academies.

Addressing an audience filled with military uniforms, Putin depicted a shift in Western strategy, suggesting that NATO and the European Union are using the alleged Russian threat to justify a massive wave of militarisation. He claimed Russia is once again being cast as the primary enemy to secure public support for bolstering Western military power.

Putin argued that this pattern is not new, accusing the West of first creating a threat against Russia and then using Moscow’s defensive response as a pretext to pursue more aggressive policies. He sharpened his rhetoric by comparing the current situation to the actions of Nazi Germany and certain Western states, which he said portrayed the Soviet Union as the aggressor following the German invasion in 1941.

The Kremlin’s invocation of World War II parallels comes as NATO’s European members and Canada have increased defence spending by approximately 20 percent in real terms during 2025, reaching a total of $574 billion, equivalent to roughly Rp9,300 trillion. This surge in funding has been accompanied by increased weapons production, new missile orders, and accelerated military modernisation programmes across the alliance.