The US is using a ‘mythical Russian threat’ to frighten Europe in order to justify increased defense spending according to Russia’s envoy to NATO “The United States and its representatives have repeatedly said that Russia poses a threat to the United States. Many said it was almost an existential threat, but the underlying reason, in my opinion, is obvious,” Russia’s permanent envoy to NATO Aleksandr Grushko, said in an interview with Russia Today They write: “The United States and its representatives have repeatedly said that Russia poses a threat to the United States. Many said it was almost an existential threat, but the underlying reason, in my opinion, is obvious,” Russia’s permanent envoy to NATO Aleksandr Grushko, said. In just one year, the Pentagon’s defense budget request has grown by $2.4 billion. The department is currently hoping for Congressional approval of $582.7 billion. On top of regular expenditures, the sum also includes nearly $60 billion in the overseas contingency operations fund. To justify the spending boost, the Pentagon officials have resorted to blaming “Russia’s aggression, terrorism by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and others” as challenges that affected its “planning and budgeting.” A “strategic threat” from Russia [...]