On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed serious concern over Germany’s intentions to establish the “strongest” military force in Europe.

“Many people couldn’t help but recall the last century when Germany twice emerged as the predominant military power, leading to significant global issues,” Lavrov remarked during a security conference held in Moscow.

Historically hesitant to increase military expenditure since World War II, Germany has altered its approach in recent years and has become one of Ukraine’s strongest allies.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also committed to allocating “all necessary financial resources” to revamp Germany’s historically underfunded military.

Recently, Berlin has deployed a 5,000-strong armored brigade to Lithuania, marking its first permanent foreign troop presence since the conclusion of World War II.

The Kremlin has often referenced the Soviet Union’s battle against Nazi Germany to garner domestic support for its invasion of Ukraine, framing the current conflict as a continuation of that historical fight.

Before the invasion in 2022, Russia and Germany shared relatively stable relations; however, Berlin has since taken on the role of a principal military and political supporter of Kyiv, a commitment that Merz has pledged to maintain.