NATO member nation Turkey pressured the military bloc into siding with Ankara over its decision to down a Russian warplane over Syria on the grounds of allied solidarity, Russian Envoy to NATO Alexander Grushko said Wednesday.

The bomber was shot down by two Turkish F-16s Tuesday morning. One of the pilots has been confirmed dead by Russian authorities, shot by rebel ground units after ejecting.

"Ankara has in effect achieved its goal – by playing the solidarity card it forced the alliance to justify its illegal action that not only undermines the joint effort against ISIL but also creates security risks for countries that have commitments to Turkey as its allies," Grushko said.

NATO Takes No Steps to Restore Military Contacts With Russia

NATO has taken no practical steps to restore military contacts with Russia after they were suspended last year, Russian Envoy to NATO Alexander Grushko said Wednesday.

“As for calls for greater transparency and predictability in Russian and NATO military activities, they are up in the air,” Grushko said. “It was the alliance’s decision to sever military contacts and it has been doing nothing to restore them in the practical sense.”