Turkey has reiterated its stance against NATO’s direct involvement in the ongoing war in Ukraine, as stated by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday following an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague.
Fidan emphasized that while Turkey supports continued assistance to Ukraine and its ability to ensure deterrence, it does not support NATO’s participation in the conflict.
He distinguished between supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and liberation efforts and NATO becoming actively involved in the war.
Fidan warned of the risk of regional escalation and larger crises if NATO were to get directly involved.
On Thursday, the United States gave Ukraine the green light to use American weapons to defend the Kharkiv region bordering Russia.
This decision marks a significant shift, as Washington had previously been cautious about actions that might draw NATO into a direct conflict with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed this approval as a significant step forward.
The Russian presidency acknowledged that Ukrainian forces had already used American weapons against Russia after the partial lifting of US restrictions.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov pointed out that American-made weapons were being used in attacks on Russian territory, highlighting the extent of U.S. involvement in the conflict.
Following the US decision, Berlin also authorized Ukraine to use German-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia. A spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed that Berlin had granted Ukraine permission to use German-provided arms for such purposes.
