Erdoğan doesn't rule out sending Turkish peacekeepers to Ukraine – Bloomberg
Photo: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Getty Images)
Türkiye could send its military to Ukraine. But Ankara will not participate in any peacekeeping mission unless it is involved in all consultations and preparations for its formation, reports Bloomberg.
Anonymous sources said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the matter with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during separate meetings in Ankara earlier this month.
Bloomberg says that US President Donald Trump is working on a plan to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Trump said he would support the participation of European allies in a peacekeeping force and security guarantees for Ukraine, although he ruled out a direct US role.
This makes Türkiye's offer to help monitor a potential ceasefire critical to easing the burden on European allies, including the United Kingdom and France, who are developing plans for a European-led peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
The sources emphasize that Türkiye will not participate in any peacekeeping mission unless it is involved in all consultations and preparations for its formation.
Both France and the United Kingdom have already said they are ready to deploy troops to Ukraine as part of a security guarantee package aimed at securing any peaceful settlement, provided that the United States supports and backs this initiative.
Türkiye's role in the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
Türkiye is actively involved in the negotiations on the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia.
On February 17, Zelenskyy paid another visit to Türkiye.
In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Ambassador of Ukraine to Türkiye Vasyl Bodnar spoke about the evolution of Türkiye's role in mediation between Ukraine and Russia.
Yesterday it became known that Turkish companies would help rebuild Ukraine.
