NATO and the EU have "declared war" on Russia through Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared at a meeting of G20 foreign ministers on September 25.
Lavrov's comments come amid rising tensions between Russia and NATO following recent violations of the alliance's airspace by Russian drones and fighter jets.
Russia's top diplomat reiterated the Kremlin's narrative that the West provoked the war in Ukraine and said NATO and the EU had moved beyond indirect support and were now parties to the war.
His comments echoed a similar statement made by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on September 15, who said that NATO is at war with Russia because of its continued military support for Kiev.
Peskov's comments came days after Poland shot down Russian drones that entered its airspace.
Following multiple violations of Russian airspace across NATO member states, US President Donald Trump said allies should shoot down Russian planes that violate their airspace, a stance supported by some European officials.
In response, the Russian ambassador to France, Alexey Meshkov, warned on September 25 that such actions by NATO would constitute "war" against Russia.
Poland shot down at least three Russian drones that entered its airspace on September 10, while a few days later, Romania reported a Russian drone that flew over its territory for almost an hour.
On September 19, Estonia accused Russia of violating its airspace with three MiG-31 fighter jets, which stayed in Estonian airspace for 12 minutes.
A recent increase in Russian airspace violations and other provocations on NATO territory, including disinformation campaigns, has heightened concerns in the West over the risk of a broader Russian military escalation.