BRUSSELS. Jan 26 (Interfax) - If NATO and Russia fail to reach agreement on missile defense, the Chicago summit may not take place, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.
He expressed hope that the sides would come to agreement but added that little progress had been made so far.
Talks continue, but if no agreement is reached ahead of the summit, then in all probability there would be no summit, the alliance's chief said.
At the same time he said he hoped that Russian leaders realized that missile defense cooperation with NATO was in Russia's interests.
Earlier in the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry's official spokesman Alexander Lukashevich announced that whether or not the Chicago summit would take place would depend on progress at the missile defense talks.