Kremlin says NATO air defence plan is confrontational and will cost European taxpayers
MOSCOW, June 9 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday that NATO's plan for a huge boost to its air and missile defence capabilities was confrontational and would come at the expense of European taxpayers who were being asked to pay to defuse a threat that did not exist.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who is pushing for members to boost defence spending to 3.5% of GDP and commit a further 1.5% to broader security-related spending, was due to use a speech in London on Monday to say that the alliance needed a 400% increase in air and missile defence.
Asked about Rutte's planned remarks on air and missile defence, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters:
"(NATO) is not an instrument for maintaining stability and security on the continent. It is an instrument created for confrontation and has so far kept its true nature disguised. Now it is showing its real nature."
Peskov said European taxpayers were the ones who would suffer.
"European taxpayers will spend their money to defuse some threat that they say comes from our country, but it is nothing but an ephemeral threat," said Peskov.
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