GERMANY - NATO’s eastward expansion and large-scale drills near Russian borders may lead to unpredictable consequences and it's time for Europe to change course, Russia's FM Sergey Lavrov told the Munich Security Conference. Europe is where the "crisis of confidence" in international relations is felt the most, Foreign Minister Lavrov said as he took to the stage, explaining that "the structure of the Cold War rivalry is being recreated" on the continent. "Escalating tensions, NATO's military infrastructure advancing to the East, exercises of unprecedented scope near the Russian borders, the pumping of defense budgets beyond measure – all this generates unpredictability," he added. He then called on Europe to focus on security cooperation and helping to uphold international treaties, instead of following a policy of confrontation. “Give up on promoting the phantom of the 'Russian threat' or any other threat – before it's too late – and remember what unites us all.”