Türkiye ready to support Ukraine’s membership in NATO

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Türkiye Hakan Fidan said this in an interview with Bloomberg, Ukrinform reports citing the MFA’s press service.

“We wouldn’t mind if they (Ukrainians – ed.) want to be a NATO member, but we have to be very much realistic, because we openly stated that we are in favor of Ukraine to be a NATO member. This was the statement from our President, so this is our official position,” he said.

The minister stressed that Ukrainians are asking for NATO membership, just not because for the sake of being a NATO member but “to see a security guarantee for their own country”.

“We have to understand one very fact. Ukrainians are asking for NATO membership, just not because for the sake of being a NATO member. It’s just to see a security guarantee for their own country. So, if they engage, let’s say a ceasefire agreement or a peace agreement, some sort of security guarantee, this is what they think is necessary to engage such a thing… And one of the ways that they want to see is NATO membership,” he said.

Fidan also suggested another option – the creation of a large international coalition to be deployed along the contact line.

In his opinion, it is possible to move towards ending the war in a few months.

“I think in couple of months time, all we can expect some sort of development, because you know, given the fact that Mr. Trump is very much eager to really stop the war. So, he has already started talking to the Russian side one-on-one. So, I think this means a lot,” the minister added.

As reported by Ukrinform, on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Türkiye strongly supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence and is determined to make every effort to end the war through negotiations so that next year Ukraine can mark the anniversary of peace, not war.

Photo: АА