Russia says NATO focused on confrontation after Ankara summit

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that the NATO summit in Ankara had failed to become the "historic" turning point Secretary General Mark Rutte had promised, charging that the alliance remains locked in an "existential and systemic" confrontation with Moscow. Speaking via Telegram, Zakharova dismissed the July 7-8 gathering as a missed opportunity for diplomacy, noting that NATO had again designated Russia as a long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security. "As much as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte tried to present it as 'historic' in the alliance's history, nothing of the sort happened," she said.

Military aid and spending

Zakharova stated that NATO members pledged €70 billion ($82 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine this year and intend to maintain similar support levels through 2027. She said the general line remains unchanged — the militarization of the European continent, concentration on building up defense potential, and preparation for armed conflict with Russia. "Allies are ready to spend billions of dollars supporting the regime in Kyiv while reducing spending on growing socio-economic problems and causing irreparable damage to the well-being of Europe's population," Zakharova said.

Transatlantic rifts and warnings

The spokeswoman also noted that disagreements between the US and its European allies persist despite efforts to project unity during the summit, with combined NATO defense spending expected to reach approximately $1.8 trillion in 2026. Citing Rutte's remarks that industry cannot keep pace with such funding levels, she warned that NATO strategists had made irresponsible decisions. "If NATO strategists had stopped to reflect, perhaps they would not have made such irresponsible decisions that could lead to catastrophe not only for the alliance but for the entire world," she said.