Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed that the country rejects NATO's "participation" in the war in Ukraine, following an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague. The Turkish minister stated, "We support continued assistance to Ukraine and its ability to ensure deterrence, but we do not want NATO to participate in this war." He added that for Ankara, "Supporting Ukraine to ensure its territorial integrity and liberate its territory is one thing, and NATO's involvement in the war is another," warning of the "risk of the conflict expanding regionally and triggering larger crises."
On Thursday, Washington gave the green light for Ukraine to use American weapons to defend the Kharkiv region on the border with Russia, surpassing concerns that allowing such strikes could drag NATO into direct conflict with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarded the U.S. green light for Kyiv to use American weapons, under certain conditions, for strikes inside Russia as "a step forward."
