Turkey does not want NATO to took part in the war in Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after an informal meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the alliance countries, held in Prague, reported Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
"We support continued aid to Ukraine and Ukraine's ability to dissuade, but we do not want NATO to participate in this war," the Turkish diplomat said.
For Ankara, supporting Ukraine in order to guarantee its territorial integrity and liberate its territories is one thing, but involving NATO in the war is another, Fidan added. He warned that replacing the alliance in the conflict risks leading to a regional expansion of this conflict and to more significant crises.
Turkey, which neighbors Russia and Ukraine, has managed to maintain ties with both Moscow and Kiev since the beginning of the conflict.
Fidan's position came at a time when several countries in the alliance, including the United States, intend to respond to an increase in Russian strikes on Ukrainian territory, particularly against civilian targets.