Turkey has indicated its openness to deploying troops in Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping force, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 27, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the possibility with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during separate meetings in Ankara earlier in February, according to Bloomberg.
Moscow has publicly opposed NATO troops in Ukraine, but Russia has not given Turkey a concrete response on the proposal, Bloomberg reported.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 20 that Russia was concerned about NATO countries discussing a potential deployment of peacekeepers.
Sources told Bloomberg that Turkey would not participate unless it is directly involved in all consultations and preparations for such a mission.
The idea of a multinational peacekeeping force has been floated as a potential security guarantee for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
While Washington has supported the concept, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Feb. 12 that such a mission would not include U.S. troops and should be led by European and non-European allies.
France, the U.K., and several other countries have expressed support for a peacekeeping force, but European nations have yet to reach a consensus.
Martin Fornusek
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