MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Moscow was watching closely after Turkey said it would act alone on its plans to form a “safe zone” in the northeast of Syria, which is a close ally of Russia.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey had no choice but to act alone as too little progress had been made with the United States on forming a “safe zone”, his most direct indication of a cross-border offensive.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow that Turkey had the right to defend itself, but that Syria’s territorial integrity must be preserved.