Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said that Europeans have “rejected the values they once promoted,” arguing that freedom of expression and speech “are no longer needed” in today’s Europe. In an interview with Sputnik, Shoigu criticized the European Union’s growing militarization and its departure from liberal principles.
He stated that the EU “has effectively turned into a military bloc,” similar to NATO, seeking external threats to justify rising defense expenditures. Shoigu also warned that the leadership of European NATO countries is capable of considering “any sophisticated provocation scenarios” against Russia.
Commenting on EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas’s remark that traveling within the EU is a privilege, Shoigu said this reflected the region’s transformation into “human rights alienation areas.” He added that “a separate entry pass should indeed be required to such zones,” underscoring his view that Europe has strayed from the values it once claimed to uphold.
