Russia will monitor the results of the NATO summit in Turkey

JAKARTA - The Kremlin on Tuesday said Russia would closely monitor the results of the NATO summit in Turkey, adding that a series of "confrontational" statements about Russia had preceded the event.

NATO leaders are meeting in Ankara for a summit on Tuesday and Wednesday, amid pressure from US President Donald Trump for Europe to increase defense spending and after months of transatlantic friction over the Iran and Greenland wars.

"This is a very interesting event, including for us. Of course, we will monitor all the news and information coming out of Ankara," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, launching Al Arabiya from Reuters (7/7).

Peskov further said that a large number of statements about Russia had been made ahead of the summit.

"Unfortunately, this is not a statement about constructive engagement and dialogue, but a statement that is confrontational," he said, without giving further details.

On Monday, President Trump said he would speak about the war in Ukraine at the summit and that a resolution to the conflict, which has lasted more than four years, is "closer than people realize."

Peskov said Russia hoped "the US efforts to steer the whole situation to a peaceful track will eventually succeed. At least, we, as the Russian president has repeatedly said, remain open to this."