Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ukraine “undoubtedly deserves” to join NATO. He said this after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul. Kiev has pushed hard for a quick decision to join NATO, even though the alliance generally does not allow a country in constant territorial dispute. Next week, NATO will meet for a summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.
However, US President Joe Biden said on Friday that membership in the Western military alliance for Ukraine is unlikely in the near term. “I don’t think there is a consensus within NATO about whether Ukraine should be included in the NATO family, right now, in the midst of war,” Biden told CNN. Earlier on Friday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has already indicated that Ukraine must make the necessary internal reforms before it can be considered for NATO membership.
Erdogan maintains good relations with both Ukraine and Russia. The Turkish president was the initiator of last summer’s agreement under which Ukrainian and Black Sea ports could be used to export mainly Ukrainian agricultural products such as grain, despite the turmoil. After meeting with Zelensky, Erdogan said he hoped to extend the deal, which expires on July 17, soon.
Erdogan also said that Ukraine and Russia should “return to the negotiating table”. The Turkish president has been trying to mediate between Kiev and Moscow since the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. This almost led to an agreement and an end to the fighting last year.
Erdogan also announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin would visit Turkey “in August”.
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