Turkey said Thursday it is prepared to take part in a proposed multinational “reassurance force” that would be deployed to Ukraine after a ceasefire with Russia.
In a statement the Turkish Defense Ministry said the Turkish Armed Forces “are prepared to contribute” to an international mission once the fighting stops and a mandate is defined. The ministry said any deployment would require a ceasefire and a clear framework outlining the mission’s goals and the level of participation by each country.
The announcement came after French President Emmanuel Macron said this week that France and the United Kingdom will lead planning for the proposed force. Macron said Turkey would play a central role because of its weight in the Black Sea and its position as NATO’s second-largest military. He said the United States would participate in the planning group for the first time.
Turkey’s government had previously said it was open to sending troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission if the parties accepted such a deployment.
Ankara has kept channels open with both Russia and Ukraine since the 2022 invasion and has hosted several rounds of talks, including negotiations that produced prisoner exchanges and arrangements for returning the bodies of soldiers. Turkey also helped broker the Black Sea grain deal before it collapsed in 2023.
Kyiv has said it wants outside guarantees to secure any future ceasefire with Russia, while Moscow has rejected international forces on Ukrainian territory unless they operate under terms it approves.
© Agence France-Presse