Turkish President: US and other NATO members do not want Ukraine to join Alliance
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Getty Images)
Türkiye intends to take its time in considering Ukraine's accession to NATO. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says that some countries are opposed to Ukraine's membership, according to his interview with NBC News.
According to Erdoğan, the United States and other NATO countries "don’t want Ukraine to be a member state."
"These are not questions to be rushed. And when making our minds, when we are taking our decisions, we always take into consideration the stance of other NATO member states, we discuss those possible questions around the table and make the final decision accordingly," the Turkish leader said.
Türkiye will monitor developments, discussions, and come to a final decision on the matter.
Erdoğan mentions that Russia's relations with Türkiye continue in political, economic, cultural, and defense sectors.
"There are many dimensions (in relations with Russia - ed.), dimensions there and our solidarity, our interaction, has been going on and economically every day, these relations are expanding," he added.
Backstory
At the NATO summit in Washington, held in early July, Ukraine expressed the desire to be invited into the Alliance. It did not happen.
NATO countries limited themselves to a promise that Ukraine's accession to NATO is irreversible.
According to Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanishyna, the United States and Germany were opposed to such an invitation.
