Russia Criticizes NATO After Ankara Summit, Ukraine Aid Still in Spotlight

JAKARTA - Russia considers NATO to remain on the path of confrontation after holding a summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7-8. Moscow said the alliance was still focusing on military strengthening, support for Ukraine, and policies that directly face Russia.

Anadolu Agency, quoted on Friday, July 10, reported that Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova delivered the criticism via Telegram on Wednesday. He said the Ankara Summit failed to become a "historic" event as described by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

"As hard as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte tries to present it as a 'historic' event in the history of the alliance, nothing of the kind happened," Zakharova said.

According to Zakharova, NATO again places Russia as a long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security. The term Euro-Atlantic refers to a security area that includes Europe and North America within the framework of NATO.

Zakharova assessed that confrontation with Moscow is now an "existential and systemic" matter for the alliance.

He said NATO's policy line was unchanged. The alliance, according to Zakharova, continues to encourage the strengthening of military capabilities and assistance to Ukraine.

"The general line remains unchanged, namely the militarization of the European continent, the focus on increasing defense potential, preparation for armed conflict with Russia, and of course assistance to Ukraine," he said.

Zakharova said NATO countries had pledged military aid worth 70 billion euros or about 82 billion US dollars to Ukraine this year. She also said that a similar level of support would be maintained in 2027.

According to Zakharova, the policy burdens European citizens because military budgets rise when social-economic problems also increase.

"The allies are ready to spend billions of dollars to support the regime in Kyiv, while reducing spending on increasingly social-economic problems and causing irreparable damage to the well-being of the European population," Zakharova said.

He also said that differences of opinion between the United States and its European allies still persisted, even though NATO tried to present a united stance during the Ankara Summit.

Zakharova said the total defense spending of NATO countries is estimated to reach around 1.8 trillion US dollars by 2026. He quoted Rutte's statement that the industry cannot keep up with this level of funding.

"If NATO strategists stop for a moment to think, maybe they will not make such irresponsible decisions that can lead to disaster, not only for the alliance, but also for the whole world," he said.