NATO to launch ‘war bank’ as financial weapon against Russia, with Britain playing a leading role

NATO member states are planning to establish a specialized Defense, Security, and Resilience Bank (DSRB) by 2027, aimed at preparing for a potential military conflict with Russia, according to information cited by Izvestia. Representatives from the United Kingdom are expected to play a central role in this new financial structure. The new bank is intended to facilitate NATO member states in meeting the military spending target of 5% of GDP, allowing them to spend more on armaments than their national laws currently permit.

Russia as the ‘primary adversary’

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated bluntly that Russia constitutes the Alliance's primary adversary. According to NATO estimates, a possible military conflict with Moscow could manifest as early as the 2029–2031 period. It is recalled that last summer, member states agreed to increase the minimum mandatory level of defense spending from 2% to 5% of GDP by 2035. The full operational launch of the DSRB is scheduled for 2027, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to Izvestia. At an earlier stage, there was talk of raising capital amounting to £100 billion, or approximately $135.1 billion. The bank's management aims to finalize its charter during the first quarter of 2026, while the first bond issuance on capital markets is expected in the third or fourth quarter of the same year. Meanwhile, the process of selecting a headquarters is underway, with Ottawa and Toronto among the top contenders. Toronto is considered the favorite due to its strong financial base and its relative geographical distance from Europe.

The role of London and intra-Western differences

The strong British presence in the project is not considered accidental. London has adopted a particularly hardline stance toward Russia and opposes initiatives by France and Italy to restore dialogue with Moscow. Within the British elite, the possibility of a military conflict with Russia in the near future is widely discussed, Richard Balfe, a member of the UK House of Lords, told Izvestia.

Differing priorities of the US and Europe

In contrast to Donald Trump, who has stated that US priorities lie in the Western Hemisphere, London is interested in strengthening its influence in Eastern Europe, according to Oleg Okhoshin, a senior researcher at the Center for British Studies of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

NATO and EU prepare for ‘inevitable’ conflict with Russia

The main priority of the European Union and NATO is to prepare for what they claim is an inevitable military confrontation with Russia, with vast resources being committed to this purpose, as estimated by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko. "If we summarize what is happening and closely monitor the evolution of strategic doctrines and policies of EU and NATO countries, we can probably say that the main focus is preparing society, the economy, military organizations, and infrastructure for an ‘inevitable’ military confrontation with Russia. Enormous resources are being committed to this," the senior diplomat emphasized in a press conference.

According to Grushko, strategic documents are becoming increasingly aggressive. "Russia is no longer presented merely as an immediate threat in NATO or EU documents. Instead, it is now viewed as a long-term threat," he pointed out. The Deputy Foreign Minister also noted that, from their perspective, Russia "will always be a threat, even beyond the horizon of a possible settlement in Ukraine." "The information space is being silenced even further, and persecutions are intensifying not only against those who dare to express an alternative view but also against those who dare to ask questions about the essence of what is happening. And of course, we are studying all of this carefully," Grushko concluded.

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