Moscow has said NATO nations are essentially robbing their taxpayers to finance increased defense expenditure

Citizens of NATO countries should accept "difficult choices" and "hard" spending decisions in order to divert billions into defense and military spending to deter Russia, top British and German military officials have claimed.

In a joint op-ed for The Guardian on Sunday, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, UK chief of the defense staff, and General Carsten Breuer, the German chief of defense, claimed that "Russia's military posture has shifted decisively westward," warning that Moscow gaining experience from the Ukraine conflict could spell danger for NATO countries.

Russian officials have repeatedly dismissed Western speculation that Moscow could attack NATO as "nonsense" and "absurd."
The officials recalled that to offset the perceived threat, NATO nations have committed to raising military expenditure to 5% of GDP by 2035.

"This reflects our new security reality and requires hard choices and prioritization on public spending for all members," they said, stressing that "people must understand the difficult choices governments have to take in order to strengthen deterrence." 

Knighton and Breuer also claimed that the policy shift has a "moral dimension," insisting that "rearmament is not warmongering," but rather a "responsible" decision aimed at "preserv[ing] peace."

They also touted NATO as "the most successful military alliance in history," despite a Wall Street Journal report last week that a recent drill had gone "horribly" for the US-led bloc. According to the paper, two NATO battalions were virtually eliminated in a single day by the opposing side during the war games - mainly represented by a small team of Ukrainian veterans using drones.

A recent Politico poll suggested that while Western publics generally favor increased defense spending, their enthusiasm fades when they are asked whether they are ready for financial sacrifices.

Moscow has denounced what it describes as reckless militarization by the EU, adding that it serves as evidence of continued hostility and warning that it undermines global security. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also suggested that by hiking military spending, NATO nations are essentially robbing their taxpayers.