ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will discuss the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday during his visit to Ankara, a Turkish official said on Sunday.
Russia struck Ukraine with a new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile on Thursday in response to Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British missiles against Russia, marking an escalation in the war that began when Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
NATO member Turkey, which has condemned the Russian invasion, says it supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and it has provided Kyiv with military support.
But Turkey, a Black Sea neighbour of both Russia and Ukraine, also opposes Western sanctions against Moscow, with which it shares important defence, energy and tourism ties.
On Wednesday, Erdogan opposed a U.S. decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to attack inside Russia, saying it would further inflame the conflict, according to a readout shared by his office.
Moscow says that by giving the green light for Ukraine to fire Western missiles deep inside Russia, the U.S. and its allies are entering into direct conflict with Russia. On Tuesday, Putin approved policy changes that lowered the threshold for Russia to use nuclear weapons in response to an attack with conventional weapons.
During their talks on Monday, Erdogan and Rutte will also discuss the removal of defence procurement obstacles between NATO allies and the military alliance’s joint fight against terrorism, the Turkish official said.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Helen Popper)
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