Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed support for Ukraine's NATO membership during talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a move that Russia is closely monitoring, CNN reports.
Zelensky has been seeking support from NATO countries ahead of an upcoming NATO summit where Ukraine's eventual membership is expected to be reaffirmed. Erdogan stated that Ukraine unquestionably deserves to be in NATO, a sentiment welcomed by Zelensky. The Ukrainian president emphasized the need for a clear signal that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance, rather than merely leaving the door open.
While NATO has an open-door policy, allowing interested countries to join if they meet certain criteria, membership can be vetoed by existing member states. Turkey has previously dropped objections to Finland joining NATO but continues to block Sweden's entry.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Erdogan has played a balancing role between the two sides and has been involved in brokering important agreements. One such agreement, the Black Sea grain deal, helped resolve the issue of millions of tons of wheat affected by the conflict.
Erdogan expressed support for extending the agreement and announced an upcoming visit from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The issue of prisoner swaps was also discussed, with both Erdogan and Zelensky highlighting its importance. Zelensky stressed the need for the Black Sea to be an area of safety rather than "frozen conflicts."
The talks between Ukraine and Turkey have drawn attention from the Kremlin, with Russia closely monitoring the discussions. The Kremlin expressed interest in the outcome of the negotiations and praised Erdogan for his role as an intermediary between Moscow and Kyiv.
Comments (0)