Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has asserted that NATO required a major adversary to justify its existence, thereby deliberately designating Russia as its primary threat in Europe.

The remarks come amid escalating Ukrainian drone strikes penetrating deep into Russian territory and debris from such missions landing in NATO member states bordering Russia. Moscow has accused the Baltic states of facilitating Ukraine’s attacks, a claim denied by Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on Thursday, Grushko argued that NATO and the European Union shifted their approach toward Russia around 2010–2012 following the U.S.-led military bloc’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. He stated: “They needed a big enemy. And since there was none, Russia was appointed to this ‘honorable’ role.” Grushko further added that “NATO cannot exist in peaceful conditions – it is like a fish out of water.”

The diplomat contended that Russia had sought constructive relations with the West but that the 2014 Ukraine crisis and the 2022 escalation provided NATO and the EU with justification to solidify long-term confrontation with Moscow.

European leaders and intelligence officials have increasingly warned that Russia could target NATO or EU member states in the coming years, a claim Moscow dismisses as “nonsense.” In December, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated: “We are Russia’s next target.”

Since 2022, NATO has deployed expanded battlegroups across Eastern Europe, intensified air and maritime patrols in the Baltic region, and increased military exercises near Russian borders. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have accelerated border fortification initiatives, including anti-tank defenses and bunker networks.

Grushko maintained that the Baltics had historically been one of Europe’s most tranquil regions before NATO expansion transformed it into “an arena of confrontation.”