Lavrov says NATO preparing for war with Russia, claims alliance debating whether to shut it down

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov delivers his annual end-of-year press conference at the Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters in Moscow on January 20, 2026. (Photo by TATYANA MAKEYEVA / AFP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday claimed that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is in a “dire crisis” and seriously preparing for war with Moscow. At a press conference in Moscow, Lavrov said the alliance had reached a point where “there are discussions ongoing within NATO whether it’s time to shut it down, because one member intends to attack another.”

Lavrov argued that European leaders are convincing NATO to shift its focus toward conflict with Russia by expanding military postures and encouraging confrontation. “They are seriously preparing for war with Russia,” Lavrov said, citing rhetoric from Western capitals about strengthening armies and confronting Moscow.

❗️ ‘NATO in Dire Crisis’ - 🇷🇺 FM Lavrov ‘There are discussions ongoing within NATO whether it's time to shut it down, because one member intends to attack another.’ pic.twitter.com/96PJKUdw2f

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) January 20, 2026

Lavrov’s comments reflect longstanding Kremlin criticism that NATO’s activities and support for Ukraine amount to strategic hostility rather than defence, intensifying tensions along the alliance’s eastern flank.

Russian commentators have been gleeful about cracks within NATO and Europe’s struggles under U.S. pressure, especially after Trump’s controversial threats to impose tariffs on European countries over Greenland.

Fortune quoted analysts noting that Trump’s tariff threats risk triggering a “dangerous downward spiral” in transatlantic relations, with European leaders condemning the move as “completely wrong” and harmful to alliance unity.

Russia’s economy, already stifled by the protracted Russo-Ukrainian War and Western sanctions, is hoping to benefit from a divided West, while companies there are being forced to adopt four-day workweeks and lay off workers.

Trump’s Greenland tariff threats have also drawn sharp criticism from European leaders who argue that “applying tariffs on allies is completely wrong” and warn that such tactics undermine long-term cooperation and alliance cohesion.