US and other NATO countries do not want Ukraine to join Alliance - Erdogan
Turkey believes that the issue of Ukraine's membership in NATO should not be decided in a hurry, and that the positions of other member states should be taken into account.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this in an interview with NBC News, Censor.NET reports.
According to him, other members of the North Atlantic bloc oppose Ukraine's accession.
"The US and other Western alliance countries do not want Ukraine to become a member state. These are not issues that need to be resolved in a hurry. And when we make a decision, we always take into account the position of other NATO member states, we discuss these possible issues at the table and make a final decision accordingly," Erdogan said.
The Turkish leader added that Turkey is closely monitoring the developments and will make a final decision based on the situation and the positions of other allies.
At the same time, Erdogan said that Russia's relations with Turkey continue in the political, economic, cultural, and defence sectors.
"They (relations with Russia - ed.) have many dimensions, and our solidarity, our interaction continues, and every day these relations are expanding economically," he added.
Ukraine's membership in NATO
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that without a stable Ukraine, there can be no stable security in Europe, and without NATO membership, it is impossible to ensure Ukraine's stable security.
EU Ambassador Mathernova said that Ukraine's membership in NATO should be promoted by the European Union.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine has never been as close to NATO as it is today.
A poll shows that almost 20% of Ukrainians believe that without NATO membership, Ukraine will become a grey zone between Russia and the West.
President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would receive an invitation and membership in NATO immediately after the war.
At the same time, French President Macron said that the main opponents of Ukraine's accession to NATO are the United States and Germany.
