The Russian government has denounced the decisions taken at the NATO summit in Ankara on 7–8 July, with foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova describing the alliance’s pledges of military assistance to Ukraine as “irresponsible decisions that could lead to a catastrophe not only for the alliance but for the entire world.” The statement, published on the ministry’s website, came after NATO members committed €70 billion ($80 billion) in military support for Kyiv in 2026 and signalled an intention to maintain a similar level in 2027. The summit also saw the United States grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture interceptor missiles for the Patriot air-defence system.

Viewed from Moscow, the Ankara meeting confirmed that NATO’s “general line remains unchanged,” centred on what Zakharova called “the militarisation of the European continent, concentration on building up defence potential, preparation for an armed conflict with Russia and, of course, assistance to Ukraine.” She argued that the alliance’s confrontation with Russia had become “existential and systemic” and that the summit had failed to smooth over “sharp edges” in relations between allies. According to the Russian readout, cracks in the transatlantic link persist, with Washington disappointed that European partners did not act “in a supportive way” when the United States needed backing, and that the Greenland issue is not being resolved according to American preferences.

From within the alliance, the summit was presented as a demonstration of unity. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in an interview with Reuters, said that open disputes between US President Donald Trump and other leaders reflected the alliance’s democratic strength and should serve as a lesson for Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Trump told reporters there was “tremendous unity” among allies and praised members for accelerating toward a 5 percent GDP defence-spending benchmark. The summit declaration reaffirmed an “ironclad commitment” to collective defence under Article 5 and unveiled arms deals worth at least $50 billion.

The Russian statement highlighted that combined NATO defence spending is projected to reach approximately $1.8 trillion in 2026, a level that, according to Rutte, industry is struggling to match. Zakharova contended that allies are prepared to spend billions on supporting the “regime in Kyiv” while reducing spending on socio-economic problems, causing what she termed “irreparable damage to the well-being of Europe’s population.” The Kremlin’s reaction also noted that the summit’s outcome did not live up to Rutte’s pre-summit description of it as “historic.”

The dossier now moves to the implementation of the aid pledges and the defence-industrial agreements reached in Ankara. The US-Ukraine Patriot production licence is expected to be formalised in the coming weeks, while NATO’s defence planning process will incorporate the 2027 aid target. No diplomatic channel between Moscow and the alliance is active, and the Russian foreign ministry’s statement indicates that the Kremlin sees the alliance’s trajectory as increasing the risk of a wider confrontation.