MOSCOW – Russia’s Foreign Ministry hit back at NATO on Wednesday, callingthe military alliance “useless”, after it blamed Moscow for provocativeactivities near the bloc’s borders.

“While the useless NATO military bloc is accusing us of provocativeactivities and is gnashing its teeth in Brussels, we are preparing to watch2018 World Cup,” the Foreign Ministry tweeted, Sputnik reported.

The summit in Belgium wrapped up on Wednesday with the heads of alliedstates and governments issuing a declaration in which they slammed Russiafor its military posture, including the deployment of modern missilesin its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad and a military buildup in Crimea.

The declaration reads that “Russia’s aggressive actions, including thethreat and use of force to attain political goals, challenge the Allianceand are undermining Euro-Atlantic security and the rules-basedinternational order”, noting that the bloc remains open to dialoguewith Moscow.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged earlier not to isolateRussia because of the problems existing between Moscow and NATOmember-states, stressing the necessity of dialogue.