NATO foreign ministers will convene in Turkey on May 14th and 15th for a meeting hosted by the Turkish Foreign Minister which will look into the prospects for Europe’s security, AL24 news via Anadolu agency reported on May 10th.
Officials from the 32 NATO member states, including Secretary-General Mark Rutte, are expected to attend. The meeting comes ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit scheduled for June 24th and 25th in The Hague. It is set to serve as a platform for further consultations.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed Turkey’s willingness to help observe a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, during a May 10th call with Kyiv’s partners in what is being referred to as the “coalition of the willing.”
According to the National on May 10th, this coalition saw UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer meet with the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, and Poland in Kyiv. The group also held a phone call with President Donald Trump, which a UK source referred to as “warm.”
Speaking from the Ukrainian capital, Starmer said the five leaders and the US were united in calling for a full, unconditional ceasefire to begin on May 12th.
This follows renewed efforts by major European powers to push for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. The proposal, backed by Donald Trump, includes the threat of imposing new sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin fails to agree to the ceasefire.
“Ukraine has shown the willingness to engage again and again, but again and again, Putin has refused,” Starmer said. “If he turns his back on peace, we will respond,” he added.
Turkey, a NATO member, has maintained open channels with both Ukraine and Russia since the start of the war in 2022. While it has supported Ukraine’s territorial morality and sent military aid, it has opposed Western sanctions on Moscow.
In March, the Turkish defense ministry said the country could take part in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine if a ceasefire is reached. Last month, military officials from Ukraine, the UK, France, and Turkey met in Turkey to engage in talks about Black Sea security.
Last year, Israel’s then Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, called on NATO to expel Turkey from the regional alliance after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his nation might enter Israel, Reuters reported on July 29th 2024.
Katz responded to the Turkish President’s comments, stating, “Erdogan is following in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein and threatening to attack Israel. He should remember what happened there and how it ended.”
AL24 News via Anadolu Agency, The National, Reuters, Anadolu Agency
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