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

NATO leaders are gathering in ​Ankara for meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, amid pressure from President Donald ⁠Trump for Europe to step up defense spending and ​following months of transatlantic friction over the Iran war ⁠and Greenland.

"This is an event that is of great interest, including to us. Of course, we will be monitoring ‌all the news and information coming out of ​Ankara," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov ‌told journalists.

He said a large number of statements about Russia ‌had been made ahead of the summit. "To our regret, these were not statements about constructive engagement and dialog, ⁠but rather statements of ‌a confrontational nature," ⁠he said, without giving further detail.

On Monday, Trump said he ⁠would ⁠talk about the war in Ukraine at the summit and that a ‌resolution to the more than four-year conflict was "getting closer than people realize."

Peskov said Russia hoped U.S. "efforts to steer ‌the entire situation ​onto a peaceful ‌track (would) ultimately succeed. At the very least, we, as the Russian President has repeatedly said, ​remain open to this."