Russia denounced NATO’s decisions at a summit in Turkey on Wednesday, saying they could have catastrophic consequences, after the alliance announced military ​aid to Ukraine and reaffirmed members’ commitment to collective ‌defence, Reuters reported.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said NATO’s priorities remained unchanged: “the militarisation of the European continent, the focus on building up defence capabilities, preparation for an ​armed conflict with Russia, and, of course, aid to Ukraine”.

“It ​is a pity, because if NATO strategists had stopped ⁠and thought for a moment, they might not have made such ​irresponsible decisions that could lead to a catastrophe not just for ​the alliance, but for the whole world,” Zakharova said in a statement on her ministry’s website.

NATO members at the summit pledged €70 billion ($80 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine ​for 2026.

They reaffirmed their “ironclad commitment” to collective defence under the ​alliance’s Article 5 pact in a summit declaration and unveiled arms deals worth at ‌least $50 ⁠billion.

In her comments, Zakharova said “cracks” between the United States and its NATO partners “have not gone anywhere”.

“Against this backdrop, the Americans do not hide their disappointment with the North Atlantic bloc,” she wrote.

“The issue with ​Greenland is not ​being resolved ⁠according to the American scenario. There is also resentment that alliance members, as Washington sees it, did ​not act in a supportive way when the United ​States ⁠needed their backing.”

NATO Secretary Genera Mark Rutte, in an interview with Reuters, said disputes between U.S. President Donald Trump and other NATO leaders showed the ⁠alliance’s ​democratic strength and should serve as a ​lesson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, read the report.

“I would say to Putin: You should have some ​more discussions yourself, out in the open,” Rutte told Reuters.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday informed his Syrian counterpart Ahmed ​al-Sharaa that he had decided to remove the country from the ‌U.S. list of designated state sponsors of terrorism.

“I promised to remove all barriers stopping you from rebuilding your country, and very soon, you will finally be able to do ​so,” Trump wrote in a letter to Sharaa, Reuters reported.

“We ​have U.S. companies ready to invest in Syria and help make your ⁠country greater and more prosperous than ever before,” he added in the ​letter that a senior U.S. administration official said was handed to Sharaa after ​their meeting in Ankara on Wednesday.

Trump said he had notified Congress, which will now conduct a 45-day review before the decision can take effect.

The designation as a state sponsor of ​terrorism carries restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance, defense exports and certain financial transactions.

Syria ​Central Bank Governor Safwat Raslan said the move by the U.S. opens wider aspects of investments ‌and ⁠economic recovery and the reintegration of Syria into the global economy, according to a post on Telegram.

Last year Trump signed an executive order terminating a U.S. sanctions program on Syria, allowing an end to the country’s isolation from the international ​financial system.

Several Saudi ​firms are planning ⁠billion-dollar investments as part of Riyadh’s efforts to support its recovery, while other Gulf states have also pledged financial assistance.

Trump ​on Wednesday complimented Sharaa, who was a commander of ​al Qaeda’s ⁠Nusra Front in Syria before cutting ties with the group in 2016. He then led a coalition of Islamist rebel factions in late 2024 to topple Assad.

Trump ⁠has ​encouraged Sharaa’s actions against the Islamic State militant ​group in the region.

“He’s respected by everybody, including me,” Trump said.

US President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for the opening of the two-day NATO Summit, where alliance leaders are set to discuss defence spending, military support for Ukraine and strengthening defence production.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Trump upon his arrival at Esenboga Airport before the US president headed to the presidential complex for an official welcoming ceremony.

The two leaders are scheduled to hold bilateral talks followed by delegation-level meetings focusing on regional and international issues. They are also expected to address the media at a joint news conference.

Earlier in the day, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine visited Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye. Accompanied by a US delegation, Caine observed a moment of silence and laid a wreath at Ataturk’s tomb.

The NATO summit has brought together heads of state and government from alliance members, along with leaders from key partner nations. Discussions are expected to centre on implementing defence spending commitments agreed at last year’s summit in The Hague, maintaining military assistance for Ukraine and expanding the alliance’s defence industrial capacity.