From June 24 to July 2, 2025, the Kremlin engaged in a “high” effort to manipulate the information environment, using 150 posts from Kremlin-affiliated accounts on X to contrast NATO and Russian defense spending.
This campaign aimed to portray NATO as a militarized aggressor and Russia as a rational actor with a purely defensive military. Seventy-five percent of these posts focused on NATO’s increased spending plans, while 25% highlighted Russia’s announced reduction in military spending. Kremlin propagandists asserted that NATO’s increased spending, decided at the June 24-25 NATO summit, was a misguided decision by European leaders driven by self-interest and “Russophobic worldview,” which could bankrupt European countries and lead to the collapse of NATO or the EU. Conversely, President Putin’s June 27 declaration of reduced defense spending was framed as a sign of Russia’s confidence in its defensive capabilities, its disinterest in an arms race, and proof that Russia has no aggressive intentions towards its neighbors.
Analysts note that this effort continues Moscow’s long-standing objective to encourage Eurosceptic voices and may retool its messaging to focus more on NATO expenditures if hostilities in Ukraine cease. However, Moscow faces a vulnerability in its messaging, as it must avoid criticizing increased European NATO spending—a signature issue for President Trump—to avoid casting blame on the US president.
