Overview
- Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told the OSCE that Europe is deliberately preparing its economy, society and armed forces for an inevitable conflict with Russia.
- He said the OSCE’s risk‑reduction dialogue was first frozen and then conducted without Russia and Belarus, which he argued pushed the format into a profound crisis.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged unwavering vigilance and said allies must do more, citing reports that Russia is allocating about 40% of its state budget to defence and reiterating longer‑term spending goals.
- Britain and Norway announced a pact to run a joint naval fleet to safeguard undersea cables, with UK officials warning of rising threats and Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling the deal historic.
- Media accounts reported recent suspected hostile activity affecting allies, including a temporary shutdown at Vilnius Airport over suspicious balloons and damage to a Polish aid rail line, along with unverified claims about pre‑emptive strike rhetoric from unnamed figures.